


Big Reputation

by ShannonRona



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Iron Man - Freeform, Pepperony - Freeform, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-21 11:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 87,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13739565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShannonRona/pseuds/ShannonRona
Summary: In the aftermath of the Hammeroid attack, how easily does Tony Stark adapt to having a relationship...and with Pepper Potts of all people.  And as if that wasn't hard enough, how can he balance his life with her and the new threat of an impostor Iron Man?  Pepperony!!!  Set between IM2 and the first Avengers.





	1. Transitions

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of these characters or any part of the Marvel/Iron Man universe...though I do wish I lived in it.   Excuse me if I miss a few details...this is my attempt to get back into writing after about a year break.  Please read and review!! 

"Oh my God. I can't take this anymore!" Pepper Potts decided, breathless after pushing away from Tony's arms once they landed on the rooftop.

He didn't seem concerned at first; her first flight was bound to leave her panicked, if he knew anything about his assistant.

"You can't?" he mumbled, pulling off the Iron Man helmet.

"I can't take this," she repeated, dusting herself off.

"Look at me."

Pepper ignored him. "My body literally cannot handle the stress. I never know if you're gonna kill yourself or wreak the whole company!"

"I think I did okay here!" Stark exclaimed, motioning towards the now burning city below them, now handicapped by the remains of the Hammeroid army.

She didn't care. "I quit. I'm resigning. That's it."

Tony craned his neck towards her as if he didn't hear her right the first time. He looked almost offended as he took a step toward her.

"What did you just say? You're done? That's surprising." A very brief pause. "No, it's not surprising. I get it," he continued, as though the puzzle pieces finally fit together. His face softened. "You don't have to make excuses."

"I'm... I'm... I'm not making any excuses," she stuttered, stepping forward.

Tony mirrored her. "You actually were just making excuses. But you don't have to."

"No, I wasn't making an excuse!" Pepper insisted, now embarrassed. "I'm actually very 

justified."

"Listen. Hey, you deserve better." He lifted his hand in understanding, not needing to hear more.

She didn't expect him to agree with her, so all Pepper managed before he could cut her off again was "well..."

"You've taken such good care of me." He grabbed her hands. "I've been in a tough spot, but you got me through it, so..." After another pause, "right?"

Pepper blinked, wondering if he was actually validating his reasoning with her.

"Thank you," she managed instead.

"Yeah."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Yeah, yeah. But let's talk clean-up."

Tony went straight into business, but Pepper was prepared. Even though she found herself thinking more highly of her boss in the past year, she was programmed to assume the role of assistant in the back of her mind after being stuck there for so long. Still, something was off; his eyes seemed...lighter than usual, even after being almost murdered by a hundred Iron Man clones.

"I'll handle the transition. It'll be smooth," Pepper promised, blushing when she finally glanced away from his steady eye contact.

Stop it, Pepper, she scolded herself. He is your boss. He is Tony Stark. Tony Stark. You know how he is with women.

Tony swallowed hard, breaking into her thoughts. "Okay. What about the press? Because you only had the job for a week. That's gonna seem..."

Pepper looked back up. "Well, with you it's like dog years!"

"I know."

Pepper didn't let his seriousness go unnoticed, but she wanted the last word. Even his warm breath on her skin from how close they were now standing wouldn't tear her down.

"I mean, it's like the Presidency-" she began.

But to her surprise, Tony had stopped listening. Instead, he ended his long, unwavering gaze he had rested on her since their discussion about CEO had begun and quickly pulled her into him. Their lips met, and even though it was, what Pepper imagined, the most tame kiss he had ever had with a woman, her body felt like it was on fire. Slowly, she brought her arms up around his bulky armor.

They finally parted, leaving the awkward aftermath to Tony as his assistant tried to catch her breath.

"Weird?" he questioned.

"No, it's not weird," she exhaled.

"It's okay, right?"

"Yeah."

Pepper noticed the slightest lift at the edges of his mouth.

"Run that by me again."

And there's the Tony I know. Pepper rolled her eyes in her mind, but obliged and gladly repeated the contact that had made her so breathless. After almost a decade, here they were, sharing a first - well, second - kiss, and he wasn't doing it just to get her in bed...she hoped.

It was a quick moment, though.

"I think it was weird..." the familiar voice of James Rhodes piped up. "You guys look like two seals fighting over a grape."

Suddenly more embarrassed before, Pepper felt the need to defend herself for a second time. They had only kissed twice and the last thing she needed was the rest of the world knowing it had happened before she could process it.

"I had just quit, actually," she informed Rhodes as both she and Tony turned towards him and backed away from each other to make it less obvious.

"Yeah, so we're not..." Stark agreed, following her lead.

Rhodey gave a casual laugh. "You don't have to do that. I heard the whole thing."

Tony's temper began to flare briefly. "You should get lost," he suggested to his friend, sounding more like an order.

Then, it was a standoff between the two men as Pepper tried to wish herself anywhere but where she was.

"I was here first. Get a roof!" Rhodey tossed back.

"I thought you were out of one-liners?"

"That's the last one."

Successful, Tony grinned. "You kicked ass back there, by the way."

"Thank you, you too." Rhodey stood, still in his armor. "Listen, my car got taken out in the explosion, so I'm gonna have to hang on to your suit for a minute, okay?

"Not okay. Not okay with that," Tony told him without a second thought.

"It wasn't a question."

They watched Rhodey flip the face mask back down and launch himself up into the sky, but, remembering Pepper, Stark decided to make light of the situation; he would have time to harass his friend later on.

He turned to the red head once the suit was out of view. "How are you gonna resign if I don't accept?"

Pepper found her hands back in his, swinging in the breeze. She cleared her throat, trying to focus.

"Don't accept?" she repeated, baffled. "You can't just-"

"Oh, but I can, since-"

"You can't not accept someone quitting!" Pepper argued, becoming inpatient with his interruptions, though she expected them every time they talked.

"I can not accept you quitting," he told her matter-of-factly with another grin.

"Tony, I'm not gonna work for you forever-"

"Oh, I'm hurt!" Tony put on a woe-is-me act for dramatization. "I thought we had something good going here."

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"That hurt, but not the hundreds of bullet holes you have on you right now?!" she returned, but was interrupted by his light chuckle.

Stark pulled her close to him again with an arm around her waist, dropping her other arm over his shoulder.

"Pep, relax." His voice was soft. "We'll figure it out. It'll work. You can quit. Or stay CEO. We can be a team."

"It better work because I can't run a company and worry about you at the same time."

He ignored her comment. "Worst case, if it doesn't work, I'll just sleep with the boss."

Pepper blinked, staring blankly back at him. Suddenly she realized how close they were again, and how she was pinned into this situation with no hope of escaping the strength of the Iron Man armor if she tried. Was that what he expected of her? To get into bed with him, just like that?

As though reading her mind, Tony smirked.

"You want me out of this suit as much as I want me out of this suit, don't ya?" he teased.

"No." Pepper blushed. "I just-"

"Wanna know what's under the armor?"

Her jaw tightened, and he noticed.

"No? Okay. Not funny, right." A pause. "How about we get you home?"

Pepper frowned. She caught herself wanting to kiss him again more than she originally thought, but it was for the best. The conversation had strayed away from the original peace of it all, anyhow.

She glanced at the ground, then back up, and then it hit her: they were still on top of a building. "Is there a fire exit somewhere I can take, or-"

"I can call Happy back down," Tony told her.

"What about you?"

"Pep, I'm Iron Man, remember? Cool jets and stuff." Stark kicked up his heavy boots for effect.

Pepper glanced over the edge of the building, learning she might be just a little afraid of heights.

"Is it safe?"

"Is it safe?" Tony repeated blankly, blinking a few times. "I just fought off a ton of robots that were trying to kill me while in the air and you want to know if now, when all of said robots are destroyed, flying is safe?"

She shot a glare at him so hot it could melt the iron suit. "And this is what makes this job too stressful!"

"I know something that can help with that," he muttered.

"Really?" she complained, disgusted.

Another mischievous grin. "It's not what you think!"

Without waiting for her to tell him no, Tony tightened his grip on her and lifted her so her feet were placed over his metal boots. Then, gradually, he began lifting them off from the rooftop and into the air using the jets on his soles.

"Are you insane?!" Pepper shouted, tucking her head deep into his chest plate instead of trying to struggle.

"A little, but you knew that."

"You're going to kill us!" she yelled back at him, clearly not amused.

Tony listened to her cries of rage for another few minutes as they climbed into the air; the building was just a small afterthought below them as the lights glittered in the night sky. Down the highways behind Pepper's head, he could see police car lights flashing as they oved from robot to robot, to collect them before the general public could come close.

"I can't believe I said I'd work for you!" Pepper continued, still yelling into his chest with her eyes shut tight. "I could've been at home. Or literally anywhere else. But no. I had the stupid idea to work for Tony Stark, and now I'm going to fall to my death. Not by robots, not by a security risk, but from flying. And the worst part is, this isn't even weird-"

"Pepper!" Stark groaned, tossing his head back.

Feeling the coolness where his chin had left the top of her head, Pepper slowly peeled her eyes away from the Iron Man suit and looked up at her boss, trying to forget that they weren't on stable ground.

"Please tell me we never left that roof top," she whispered.

"Look at me, okay?" he asked politely, trying to reassure her. "You're not gonna die. I got you."

"Yes, because trusting you has worked out so well for me before!" Finally, she looked down. "Oh, I'm going to be sick!"

Pepper's face paled as she saw how far from the ground they were. The lights below looked almost as tiny as the stars above them. She rapidly whipped her head back towards Tony, taking deep breaths as she focused on the light of the arc reactor. When she finally managed to stop her panic from increasing, she glanced up.

With a cocked eyebrow and the slightest of smirks on his lips, Tony was simply watching her. They weren't moving, just floating, and he wasn't looking around as wildly as she was.

Of course this is normal to him, Pepper reminded herself.

"You're being dramatic," Tony piped up. "I just saved you, you think I'm gonna let you die now?"

"Dramatic?!" Pepper screamed back, tensing in his hold. "My egocentric boss currently has me hanging 10,000 feet in the air, Tony!"

"Twelve," he corrected. "And you're right about the egocentric part. But when are you gonna lose that 'boss' term?"

"Do you even know the odds of survival of I fall?!"

"Not good, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Hey, Jarvis," Stark commented, ignoring Pepper. "What are the odds of Miss Potts surviving if I let her go right now?"

"Don't you dare!" Pepper whispered, angry.

Jarvis responded without taking Pepper's comment to heart. "Not very good, sir."

"See." Tony smirked again. "And what are the odds of the suit malfunctioning right now?"

"Well, given the depletion from the battle, sir, systems are currently at twenty-four per-"

"Okay, I get the point."

Tony shut his AI up before he could worry Pepper any further. Then, he smiled a guilty smile at the woman attached to him and waited for her to continue her assault.

"I'm never letting Happy leave me alone with you ever again," Pepper muttered, mostly to herself.

"Oh." Tony focused on her, still watching as her cheeks began to lose their blush and she settled down a little bit, growing comfortable in his grasp.

Pepper glared at him and his one word answer, but inside she knew she had finally made the great Tony Stark somewhat speechless. When he didn't look away, she swallowed.

"What?"

He opened his mouth to speak eventually, but another pause ensued.

"Tony?" she asked with more urgency. "Are you okay? Don't tell me you're dying again, I swear to God-"

"Pepper..."

The red head focused on him for a moment and suddenly didn't need to know what his answer was.

"Take me home, Mr. Stark," she demanded, suddenly flustered. "And call Happy to let him know we're okay. But you owe me a martini. Or two." She thought for a moment. "Actually, three."

Tony flashed a grin and powered up his jets again, then had Jarvis program a flight plan back to the airport.

"Hold on!"

 

 

After they had landed, she immediately pushed herself away from him, but Stark was really beginning to feel like she was enjoying herself near the end of their short flight. Despite how she spoke, her body loosened up and didn't protest his grip as much as when they first lifted off the ground.

Tony had left his helmet on the rooftop next to the explosion site, forgetting to replace it before lifting Pepper into the air, so he left it to Pepper to ring him while they got the plane ready for takeoff. Now, she was pacing back and forth before the lowered staircase up to the jet. Tony watched her and ran a hand through his hair as the exhaustion began to settle in.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked with concern as she shut her phone and ended her call with Happy.

"Good. All good."

Pepper frowned and dabbed at a bit of blood on his forehead.

Tony protested. "Pep!"

She stopped and looked at him.

"I'm here, I'm alive, okay? Tired. Just very tired," he confirmed.

Stark glanced at the plane. "Think you can make it back in one piece? I don't want to do that whole last minute pickup thing all over again tonight."

"You're not coming with us?" Pepper asked, shocked.

"Unless you've got a way of getting this suit off on that jet that I don't know about-"

"But you'll fall asleep flying!"

"-preferably in a fun way... I'll make it back before you do," he reminded her.

Pepper gave up the fight, but ran the back of her hand along his breast plate to display her worry.

"You know, two days ago you wanted to hurl something at my head," Tony informed her. "And now you're upset because a couple robots actually tried to."

"I'm upset because it wasn't me," she teased.

"Ouch."

She ignored him. "Tony-"

"Present."

"-that day, with the strawberries-"

"Which you're allergic to."

Pepper smiled - he was learning.

"Forget it," Tony told her. "Forget about it. Doesn't matter now."

"Yes, but-"

"You forgive me, right?"

Stark focused on his assistant while she tried to think of what to say next even though he was clearly overwhelming her. Sure, he had made an awkward attempt at telling her how he felt, and tried to apologize, but didn't kissing her make up for some of that? They were past that now.

"Right. Good." He decided for her. "How long till Happy gets here?"

Pepper sighed and let her shoulders relax. "Ten minutes. Unless he takes a shortcut.

"He'll take the shortcut," Tony nodded, knowing his driver's tendencies. "But I'll wait with you."

"That isn't necessary, Mr. Stark," she whispered.

"Of course it is, Miss Potts," he hummed back.

Tony's stare smoldered into Pepper's eyes, making her cheeks hot for yet another time that night. This wasn't the light hearted, kind look he had given hear before their kiss - that one was desperate. Now, he was being playful. Briefly, her mind jumped into memories from their past: Tony with his many women, Pepper dealing with the aftermath... None of it gave her hope, but a small voice in her head was telling her to ignore those things - Tony had practically been her closest friend for years, now, and there had been tension between them since his return from Afghanistan.

"You're thinking too much," Tony told her. "Do I really make you that nervous?"

Pepper watched him smirk. "I'm more nervous of myself, Mr. Stark," she told him simply.

Oh, she's good, Tony thought to himself while he watched her bite her lip slightly. "What's with these names? Mr. Stark, boss... Come on, Pep, it's me."

"And that's the problem!" she finally exclaimed, her feeling exploding into one big storm.

"Okay. Surprisingly that's not the first time I've been told that." Tony pressed his lips together. "I think it's time we drop the titles."

"Why?" she asked. "I work for you. And Stark Industries. You employed me, so naturally-"

"But you quit."

Her eyes narrowed. "But you won't let me."

"Right, because we're a team. Teams are equals. Unless you like me bossing you around," he tossed in, grinning.

Pepper contemplated smacking him, but realized she'd probably only hurt herself by trying. She was used to his sexual innuendos, so why was she suddenly embarrassed by them?

"I have never wanted out of this suit more in my life," he whined, adding a pathetic snarl to emphasize his frustration.

Pepper cleared her throat and leaned up towards him - while he was in the Iron Man armor, he had a good few inches over her, even with heels.

"Neither have I," she whispered, her words leaving a warm tingling on his lips as they escaped her mouth.

Before Tony could react, Pepper fell back down so she was out of reach, and the brightness of headlights pulling onto the tarmac warned him Happy had arrived.

"You okay, boss?!" he asked immediately after escaping the driver's seat.

"Again, with this 'boss' stuff..." Tony complained, shooing them into the jet. "Talk about it later. Race ya back to Malibu."

"You'll win!" Hogan replied, already defeated.

Tony grinned. "That's the plan." 

 

 

Tony touched down in the workshop bay with Jarvis waiting for his arrival just over two hours later after taking a detour to grab some food. No one in Malibu was stunned when he arrived as Iron Man anymore, but he still loved watching them fangirl over him when it happened.

While the jet was prepping for takeoff, he launched himself from the tarmac and roared past Pepper's window; he hoped he had managed to make her jump. They would be another few hours or so, so he had time to kill.

Jarvis immediately began disassembling the Iron Man armor so Tony would finally be free. As it came off in pieces, he sighed in relief, even though actually moving his muscles on his own without the weight of the armor felt weird and made his limbs sore.

"Careful..." he mumbled, trying not to grimace.

Tony rubbed his arms as he stepped off the platform, taking a look around at the workshop he had quickly abandoned to make it to New York in time. Several screens were brought back up as Jarvis rebooted the systems for him, stuck where he left them on the arc reactor project. He made a mental note as he wandered past them to actually do said tests that he bypassed after producing the new element.

"Jarvis, current time?"

"12:14 AM, Pacific Standard Time, sir," the voice echoed.

Tony groaned as he came to a stop in front of the small kitchen counter to the side of the open room.

"Pull up ATC?" he requested and poured himself a drink.

A moment, and then, "Miss Potts should be touching down in roughly an hour and twenty minutes."

"Early."

Tony did a quick calculation in his head. Then, he turned back away from the counter so he could lean against it and folded his free arm across his torso.

"Shall I alert you once they've landed?" Jarvis offered kindly.

"Yeah, do that."

He took a swig, swished it around before swallowing, then set the glass down. He needed a shower. Badly. And sleep. But he also knew he still owed Pepper that apology and wouldn't be half surprised if she didn't wait until the morning to check on him. Then, he remembered what she'd return to.

"Any contractors up at this hour?"

"Dum-E has cleared most of the glass, as you requested, sir. Perhaps Miss Potts can contact someone to refinish the structural decay in the morning?"

"Good idea. Remind me to have her do that."

No, do it yourself, a voice in the back of his mind told him. She isn't your assistant anymore. Or CEO. But she's kind of your...girlfriend? Dare he venture there?

"Jarvis, you think I could ever handle a relationship?"

A moment passed.

"It would depend on with who, sir."

"Rhodey," he teased. "He could handle me."

"It's a possibility."

"Thanks, I guess..." Stark muttered, then pushed himself away from the counter to head towards the stairs. "Power lights in the rest of the house? And start repairs on that suit. When I come back we need to make some modifications."

"Of course, sir," Jarvis agreed as the glass door opened to let Tony out. "And might I request more diagnostics on the new arc reactor?"

"Later."

Tony didn't listen to whatever Jarvis had responded with. Instead, he made a beeline up the stairs and for his bedroom - not the one he entertained in, but the one he actually slept in. It concerned him that he would no longer need a spare, so he would just have to convert it into a guest room. Happy could have it.

A shower was exactly what he needed. He was still exhausted, but he was clean and exhausted and at least presentable on the off chance Pepper stopped by. He let the water run for a while, hoping it would relax his sore muscles, but it only gave him time to process the past few hours. Usually, he could hop in and out quickly, but not after the long night. He needed better security on the suits. He needed Rhodey's suit back. And he needed -

"Sir, power is currently at ninety-eight percent on the suit."

Jarvis had caught him off guard, initiating a sigh from Stark.

"That was fast," he mumbled, though he was grateful; it meant the damage was mostly external and his lack of energy probably didn't help matters.

"It's been an hour, sir," Jarvis replied with worry.

Sometimes Tony forgot Jarvis was an AI with how personal he had become through adaptations. Still, he hadn't realized he had taken that long, so it was probably for the best. He grabbed a towel and patted his head a few times, then tossed on an old t-shirt and jeans and made his way back down to the workshop.

He powered on a few of the televisions to keep an eye on news headlines - luckily, Iron Man wasn't part of them...yet. Then, he set up the work station to the side of his desk. Tony had Jarvis bring up a table with the suit sprawled out, now patched and ready to go for the next time he'd need it.

"Hey, Jar, what would you put as an estimated time for one of these guys to fully recharge?" Tony asked the unit while studying the area of the breast plate that was formerly ridden with bullet holes.

"With internal damage, sir?"

"Yeah, missing pieces, cut wires...the whole shebang. What's that put us at? Two, three hours?"

"Negative, sir," Jarvis told him sadly. "A whole system reboot could take up to five hours."

"So, say we get attacked in that five hours..." Tony rambled, his focus solely on the suit. "What then?"

"Well..." Jarvis was struggling to find the answer Tony wanted. "The suit would not be ready."

"Gotta have more firepower..." Stark thought out loud, realizing he could probably benefit from a backup. "Load a new file? Title Mark VII."

"Another Mark, sir?" Jarvis sounded as spent as Tony.

"Hey, don't give me that sass!" Stark scolded back. "New core, new suits. I want a backup in case this one gets powered down. Copy layout?"

"Copied."

"Good. Now bring up the projection."

A virtual blueprint of the Mark VI suit appeared into the air over the laid-out pieces. Tony swiped a few things away, then focused on the helmet.

"What's the security protocol I put on here, Jarvis?" he asked casually. "And set a reminder to visit Rhodey tomorrow."

Tony was suddenly realizing he had been so caught up in perfecting the suit, he forgot to keep it all for himself. Fury had been right - literally anyone could walk in and take one of the suits without another word, just like Rhodey had.

"There is currently no protocol on the Mark units, sir," Jarvis informed him.

Tony frowned, watching the blueprint flicker in front of him. Then, it dawned on him. "Have any photos of Pepper?"

"Of course..." Jarvis confirmed while trailing off to pull a few up. "...but may I ask, what you need it for? Is Miss Potts all right?"

"She's fine," Tony muttered, swiping through and finally deciding on a headshot. "This one. Can we add a retinal scan?"

"Easily, sir."

"Do it. Me, Pepper," he sighed, "Rhodey. Hell, throw Happy in there too."

A few moments passed while Jarvis loaded the information into the suits systems, but once he was finished, Tony was eager to test it out. He lifted the helmet from the table onto his head and waited for the screen to load; it felt heavy on him without the rest of the armor.

"All uploaded, sir," he heard Jarvis' voice update him through the side speakers in the helmet.

"Run a test?"

As Tony requested, a blue bar appeared and read his eyes to ensure the user was verified to take the suit out.

"Welcome, Mr Stark," Jarvis responded. "All access is now restricted to outside users, as per your request."

Tony grinned triumphantly. "Good. Apply those changes here and to the new suit. Then we'll talk endurance."

As he removed the helmet to set it back down on the table, Jarvis alerted Stark of an incoming call.

"Time?" Tony asked the empty workshop. Who the hell is calling me at this hour?

"Roughly 2:30 AM."

"Has Pepper landed?" 

"Miss Potts and Mr Hogan had arrived about a half an hour ago, sir."

"Has she called?"

"Not yet."

"No trace on this call?"

"Sir, it seems to be coming from...one of your suits..."

"Fine, patch it through."

"Of course."

Tony made his way back to his desk as he waited to hear the sarcastic banter from the only other person with access to the Iron Man armor.

"Tony!" an excited Rhodey greeted. His voice surrounded the room in echoes.

Stark wanted to smack himself for not assuming it was his friend earlier, but since he had been up for almost a day straight, he gave himself a break. He sat, lifted his shirt, and inspected the new arc reactor he had installed so he didn't have to fidget around with his hands while he waited for the suits to process the new tweaks. It glowed, stronger than ever, reminding him that he was finally healthy again.

"Rhodes," he replied while attaching a few wires to his chest. "How's my suit?"

"Feels great, looks great," Rhodey teased.

"You know how it would look better?" Tony answered without missing a beat. "If it was back in my workshop. Here."

"Eh," was all Rhodey gave him back.

"Jarvis," Stark commanded, "you can run your diagnostics now." Tony paused as his AI complied. Then, he realized it sounded like wind on the call. "Where are you, anyway?"

"Base called me back. On my way out over seas right now."

"You're taking my suit there?"

Rhodey ignored him, knowing full well it wasn't the first time he had landed on base in the silver armor. "How's Pepper?"

"When did I say you could take it there?"

Stark avoided the question as best as he could as a window popped up on his desktop to alert him a car was approaching the door, though he could almost hear Rhodey grinning through the call.

"Sir," Jarvis interrupted quietly. "Miss Potts has arrived."

"You two better not be weird when I get back or-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get back to you on that," Tony mumbled as he ended the call, cutting his friend off.

"Tony?" he heard Pepper call from upstairs somewhere, probably nearing the staircase. "I can't believe you haven't cleaned this up yet!" A frustrated sigh came, then, "I'm just dropping off some of this paperwork I drafted on the way back."

He noticed her slim legs appear on the stairs, and then soon after she stood near the glass door, punching in her code. Tony spun his chair fully around to face her as she gained access to the workshop; instinctively, he began pulling the wires off of his chest in a hurry.

Pepper didn't see it at first. "If I leave them here can you please promise to look over them before I go back to the - oh my God!"

Yup, she had noticed.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?!" Pepper sounded furious and somehow, still shocked by what she walked in on him doing.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He smirked.

"Is that new?" 

"Soft of." Tony tapped on the reactor a few times. "Same reactor. Different element."

Pepper walked towards him and around the desk to inspect it. He noted how her lip rose to one side when she was trying to process his dramatic stunts.

"Take a picture, honey," he offered, beaming.

"You're still dying, aren't you?!" she exclaimed.

"Nope, definitely not dying."

"You promised me you were okay!"

"Right. Not dying."

"I don't know why I should have listened to you," Pepper went on, too caught up in her rant to notice he was giving her good news.

"Pepper-"

"OF course you wouldn't tell me the truth!"

"Pepper!" Tony snapped.

Finally, Pepper stopped talking, her mouth shutting slowly with embarrassment. She tried her best to regain her composure, but immediately began to feel hot with shame.

"I was dying," Stark told her, pulling his shirt back down and standing up to her height. "The Palladium buildup was more than we expected. The suit wasn't helping."

Pepper softened and repositioned herself on her feet. "So you were killing youself?"

"Technically," Tony admitted. "But I'm good now. It's a long story, we'll go over it one day."

She frowned, once again disgusted. "Is that supposed to be your apology?"

"That was the informal one."

She crossed her arms. "Then where's the formal-"

Before she could ridicule him further, Tony did something else he never imagined he would do. He stepped forward and pulled his assistant into a hug, one arm holding her tightly to him; it was a real hug, not one just to please her and send her off.

"Pepper," he muttered into her hair. "I am sorry. I should've told you."

Not knowing how to respond, the red head stood rigid against her boss until he released her.

"Come here," he ordered, taking her hand.

"What?" she whispered, staring blankly at his boyish smile.

Tony lead her to the table where the Iron Man armor was still laid out. He picked up the helmet and handed it to her. She accepted it with confusion.

"Did you just say sorry?" Pepper was still stuck on his words.

"Put it on," Tony instructed.

Pepper snapped back into reality. "I'm not putting this on, Tony-"

"Not gonna make this easy, are you?"

Stark moved behind her and helped his assistant lift the helmet onto her head. He was glad he asked her to do it then; she probably would've had some kind of issue with using any piece of the suit had she not been so surprised by his sincerity. He waited until Jarvis scanned her over before placing his hands on her shoulders. Then, he imagined the systems loading and detailing each and every thing in her viewfinder.

"Hello, Miss Potts," he heard his system greet Pepper from inside the helmet.

"Jarvis?" Pepper spoke quietly in awe of finally seeing what Tony saw on his missions.

"Yes, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark has added you to the security protocol."

Pepper lifted the helmet back off of her head slowly, struggling a little. As Tony realized she was done with it, he grabbed it from her hands above her head and set it lightly back down into place next to the rest of the suit without removing himself from behind her. Then, he returned to Pepper and let his hands rest on her hips; suddenly, the tension between them from before was back.

"Just in case you ever need it and I'm not here," Tony whispered into her ear, sending chills down her body.

"Or if you throw another drunken fit on your birthday..." Pepper added.

He breathed a chuckle onto her skin, taking in the light scent of what was left of her perfume for the day; she was right. He stayed still for a moment, enjoying their closeness, until she spun around to face him. Her eyes were light and she had the slightest smile on her lips; she looked content.

Tony studied her for a few seconds longer before dropping his gaze to her lips, and then back up, hoping he wasn't about to make a mistake. Then, he pulled her back into him, this time not so franticly, and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her gently as he felt her hands move to warm the skin of his biceps, but then pulled back to assess the situation.

Pepper's eyes fluttered open softly, blinking back at him. She fought her heart for a moment, realizing how different it was between them now; he was her employer not even a day ago, and here they were, kissing for what was the third time that night.

"Tony..." she managed, giving in, and that was enough.

Reading her tone, Tony crushed his lips back on hers in a searing kiss. His force sent her stumbling backwards, but he stabilized her easily. Once they regained their composure, he cupped her face to deepen their kiss, knowing it was now more than the innocent romance they shared on the rooftop earlier in the night.

When her back ran into the front side of his desk, Pepper gasped, breaking their connection. Tony took advantage, and before she was able to steady her breathing, he pinned her to the desk with one arm on either side of her and began nipping at the soft skin of her neck.

"Tony," she whispered again, running her hands through his hair. "We're going to...need...some sleep," she breathed.

"Good idea," he agreed, grinning against her. 

Pepper squealed as he grabbed hold of her and lifted her into the air. He had her wrap her legs around her waist for support, and she easily complied.

"That's not-" she began, but Tony silenced her with another kiss, and before she knew it, they were making their way up the staircase and to the main floor.

Once he found his room, Pepper landed fully on top of Tony as he fell back down onto the bed, lips still locked. She felt her skin warm at his touch on her arms, and felt him leave a gentle tickle where his beard pressed against her chin. Then, her brain followed his hands slip down, slowly from behind her back to her hips, and then finally...

Pepper broke off the kiss, panting. "Tony, I-"

He opened his eyes and looked at her with concern.

Pepper felt a pang of guilt run through her body as she saw the lust in his chocolate eyes, but she couldn't let herself do what they were about to do. She had seen nights like this too many times before and knew nothing ever lasted with Tony Stark. Yes, they had history, but she couldn't just give herself away to him so easily. She wouldn't be one of the others.

"I just, I can't do this," she finally managed to get out, still straddled on top of him.

Stark blinked, but nodded slightly. "Right. No. No, it's okay," he told her.

"It is?"

"It's good."

"I mean, I'm sorry. I really am." Embarrassment was taking over.

"Don't be."

"Are you sure? Because-"

"I get it."

Pepper swallowed, then nodded and rolled off of him. Looking around, she realized he hadn't just treated her like one of his others; he had brought her to his room. Not the room he went to for...strenuous activities...but the room he actually slept in, the one he escaped to when he was done with his other girls...the one only she had seen.

"I can make up the spare room, if you want it," Tony offered. 

Pepper grimaced at the thought of using the same bed the rest of the women had spent the night in.

"Or the couch," Tony recommended instead.

When she didn't answer, he kept talking to fill the void.

"I'll call someone to clean the place up tomorrow. Oh, and I'm thinking a press conference. Maybe we can get the Expo back on its feet in a few weeks or something..."

Pepper finally brought her gaze back to Tony and gave him the same look she had in the city.

"No." She was back to whispering.

"No?" Stark asked. Had he offended her?

Pepper smiled and shook her head. "No," she repeated. "You don't have to do that."

"Pep, are you sure? I don't really think you should be going home alone at this hour-" He trailed off, watching her soft gaze on him. "Or...you can stay...here..."

Tony wasn't sure what made him want to offer her to stay with him - no sex, just sleeping - but it had just come out. Damn it, he yelled at himself. You're softening up. 

"Here?" Pepper repeated blankly.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Here. With me. We can just sleep. Nothing fancy." He watched, waiting desperately for a response. "If it's not weird."

"It's not," Pepper tossed back easily, even though it sort of was.

She felt her heart beating a million miles a minute, but realizing he was right about the time, she made a quick decision to accept his offer. She looked him over for a minute, the arc reactor shining from beneath the thin material of his shirt, until her eyes fell back onto his face. Suddenly nervous, she felt a harsh blush creep over her cheeks as she nodded and kicked off her heels. This was the same man she had spent many years working for. Sure, he changed after coming back from his few months in captivity, but this was still her boss - the person she could never take seriously before that incident. He was too familiar to her - his dark brown eyes, the way his cheeks creased when he smiled, the ridiculous sunglasses he always wore to match his facial hair - all of it was part of his appeal to the outside world. And yet, it was comforting to Pepper now. Somehow in the past few months, she had gotten used to their banter; they had become some sort of friends, as difficult as he had made it to get there. He would toss her a sarcastic, sometimes sexualized comment, and she would either ignore it and move on or retaliate with something that left him wondering. She could tolerate all of his childish antics and his dangerous projects and his lack of ability to stick to a schedule before, but now he seemed more mature, even lying there waiting for her response. He was becoming more...normal. 

The echo of the shoes hitting the floor made Tony come back into reality as he realized this was the first time in a very long time that he'd actually be sharing a bed with someone just to sleep. He was Tony Stark; he didn't do things like this...but somehow, with Pepper, things were different now. She was familiar to him, and even after all the years they spent together, he never got sick of her. He actually wanted her to stay. Was he...?

"Pep," he whispered as she settled down in bed next to him and stared at the ceiling. "I-"

She turned her head towards him expectantly, but deciding to play it safe, he smiled and took her hand in his as they both laid on their backs in a very neutral position.

"Goodnight," he told her kindly, feeling her smile through the warmth of their contact.

"Oh my God. I can't take this anymore!" Pepper Potts decided, breathless after pushing away from Tony's arms once they landed on the rooftop.

He didn't seem concerned at first; her first flight was bound to leave her panicked, if he knew anything about his assistant.

"You can't?" he mumbled, pulling off the Iron Man helmet.

"I can't take this," she repeated, dusting herself off.

"Look at me."

Pepper ignored him. "My body literally cannot handle the stress. I never know if you're gonna kill yourself or wreak the whole company!"

"I think I did okay here!" Stark exclaimed, motioning towards the now burning city below them, now handicapped by the remains of the Hammeroid army.

She didn't care. "I quit. I'm resigning. That's it."

Tony craned his neck towards her as if he didn't hear her right the first time. He looked almost offended as he took a step toward her.

"What did you just say? You're done? That's surprising." A very brief pause. "No, it's not surprising. I get it," he continued, as though the puzzle pieces finally fit together. His face softened. "You don't have to make excuses."

"I'm... I'm... I'm not making any excuses," she stuttered, stepping forward.

Tony mirrored her. "You actually were just making excuses. But you don't have to."

"No, I wasn't making an excuse!" Pepper insisted, now embarrassed. "I'm actually very 

justified."

"Listen. Hey, you deserve better." He lifted his hand in understanding, not needing to hear more.

She didn't expect him to agree with her, so all Pepper managed before he could cut her off again was "well..."

"You've taken such good care of me." He grabbed her hands. "I've been in a tough spot, but you got me through it, so..." After another pause, "right?"

Pepper blinked, wondering if he was actually validating his reasoning with her.

"Thank you," she managed instead.

"Yeah."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Yeah, yeah. But let's talk clean-up."

Tony went straight into business, but Pepper was prepared. Even though she found herself thinking more highly of her boss in the past year, she was programmed to assume the role of assistant in the back of her mind after being stuck there for so long. Still, something was off; his eyes seemed...lighter than usual, even after being almost murdered by a hundred Iron Man clones.

"I'll handle the transition. It'll be smooth," Pepper promised, blushing when she finally glanced away from his steady eye contact.

Stop it, Pepper, she scolded herself. He is your boss. He is Tony Stark. Tony Stark. You know how he is with women.

Tony swallowed hard, breaking into her thoughts. "Okay. What about the press? Because you only had the job for a week. That's gonna seem..."

Pepper looked back up. "Well, with you it's like dog years!"

"I know."

Pepper didn't let his seriousness go unnoticed, but she wanted the last word. Even his warm breath on her skin from how close they were now standing wouldn't tear her down.

"I mean, it's like the Presidency-" she began.

But to her surprise, Tony had stopped listening. Instead, he ended his long, unwavering gaze he had rested on her since their discussion about CEO had begun and quickly pulled her into him. Their lips met, and even though it was, what Pepper imagined, the most tame kiss he had ever had with a woman, her body felt like it was on fire. Slowly, she brought her arms up around his bulky armor.

They finally parted, leaving the awkward aftermath to Tony as his assistant tried to catch her breath.

"Weird?" he questioned.

"No, it's not weird," she exhaled.

"It's okay, right?"

"Yeah."

Pepper noticed the slightest lift at the edges of his mouth.

"Run that by me again."

And there's the Tony I know. Pepper rolled her eyes in her mind, but obliged and gladly repeated the contact that had made her so breathless. After almost a decade, here they were, sharing a first - well, second - kiss, and he wasn't doing it just to get her in bed...she hoped.

It was a quick moment, though.

"I think it was weird..." the familiar voice of James Rhodes piped up. "You guys look like two seals fighting over a grape."

Suddenly more embarrassed before, Pepper felt the need to defend herself for a second time. They had only kissed twice and the last thing she needed was the rest of the world knowing it had happened before she could process it.

"I had just quit, actually," she informed Rhodes as both she and Tony turned towards him and backed away from each other to make it less obvious.

"Yeah, so we're not..." Stark agreed, following her lead.

Rhodey gave a casual laugh. "You don't have to do that. I heard the whole thing."

Tony's temper began to flare briefly. "You should get lost," he suggested to his friend, sounding more like an order.

Then, it was a standoff between the two men as Pepper tried to wish herself anywhere but where she was.

"I was here first. Get a roof!" Rhodey tossed back.

"I thought you were out of one-liners?"

"That's the last one."

Successful, Tony grinned. "You kicked ass back there, by the way."

"Thank you, you too." Rhodey stood, still in his armor. "Listen, my car got taken out in the explosion, so I'm gonna have to hang on to your suit for a minute, okay?

"Not okay. Not okay with that," Tony told him without a second thought.

"It wasn't a question."

They watched Rhodey flip the face mask back down and launch himself up into the sky, but, remembering Pepper, Stark decided to make light of the situation; he would have time to harass his friend later on.

He turned to the red head once the suit was out of view. "How are you gonna resign if I don't accept?"

Pepper found her hands back in his, swinging in the breeze. She cleared her throat, trying to focus.

"Don't accept?" she repeated, baffled. "You can't just-"

"Oh, but I can, since-"

"You can't not accept someone quitting!" Pepper argued, becoming inpatient with his interruptions, though she expected them every time they talked.

"I can not accept you quitting," he told her matter-of-factly with another grin.

"Tony, I'm not gonna work for you forever-"

"Oh, I'm hurt!" Tony put on a woe-is-me act for dramatization. "I thought we had something good going here."

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"That hurt, but not the hundreds of bullet holes you have on you right now?!" she returned, but was interrupted by his light chuckle.

Stark pulled her close to him again with an arm around her waist, dropping her other arm over his shoulder.

"Pep, relax." His voice was soft. "We'll figure it out. It'll work. You can quit. Or stay CEO. We can be a team."

"It better work because I can't run a company and worry about you at the same time."

He ignored her comment. "Worst case, if it doesn't work, I'll just sleep with the boss."

Pepper blinked, staring blankly back at him. Suddenly she realized how close they were again, and how she was pinned into this situation with no hope of escaping the strength of the Iron Man armor if she tried. Was that what he expected of her? To get into bed with him, just like that?

As though reading her mind, Tony smirked.

"You want me out of this suit as much as I want me out of this suit, don't ya?" he teased.

"No." Pepper blushed. "I just-"

"Wanna know what's under the armor?"

Her jaw tightened, and he noticed.

"No? Okay. Not funny, right." A pause. "How about we get you home?"

Pepper frowned. She caught herself wanting to kiss him again more than she originally thought, but it was for the best. The conversation had strayed away from the original peace of it all, anyhow.

She glanced at the ground, then back up, and then it hit her: they were still on top of a building. "Is there a fire exit somewhere I can take, or-"

"I can call Happy back down," Tony told her.

"What about you?"

"Pep, I'm Iron Man, remember? Cool jets and stuff." Stark kicked up his heavy boots for effect.

Pepper glanced over the edge of the building, learning she might be just a little afraid of heights.

"Is it safe?"

"Is it safe?" Tony repeated blankly, blinking a few times. "I just fought off a ton of robots that were trying to kill me while in the air and you want to know if now, when all of said robots are destroyed, flying is safe?"

She shot a glare at him so hot it could melt the iron suit. "And this is what makes this job too stressful!"

"I know something that can help with that," he muttered.

"Really?" she complained, disgusted.

Another mischievous grin. "It's not what you think!"

Without waiting for her to tell him no, Tony tightened his grip on her and lifted her so her feet were placed over his metal boots. Then, gradually, he began lifting them off from the rooftop and into the air using the jets on his soles.

"Are you insane?!" Pepper shouted, tucking her head deep into his chest plate instead of trying to struggle.

"A little, but you knew that."

"You're going to kill us!" she yelled back at him, clearly not amused.

Tony listened to her cries of rage for another few minutes as they climbed into the air; the building was just a small afterthought below them as the lights glittered in the night sky. Down the highways behind Pepper's head, he could see police car lights flashing as they oved from robot to robot, to collect them before the general public could come close.

"I can't believe I said I'd work for you!" Pepper continued, still yelling into his chest with her eyes shut tight. "I could've been at home. Or literally anywhere else. But no. I had the stupid idea to work for Tony Stark, and now I'm going to fall to my death. Not by robots, not by a security risk, but from flying. And the worst part is, this isn't even weird-"

"Pepper!" Stark groaned, tossing his head back.

Feeling the coolness where his chin had left the top of her head, Pepper slowly peeled her eyes away from the Iron Man suit and looked up at her boss, trying to forget that they weren't on stable ground.

"Please tell me we never left that roof top," she whispered.

"Look at me, okay?" he asked politely, trying to reassure her. "You're not gonna die. I got you."

"Yes, because trusting you has worked out so well for me before!" Finally, she looked down. "Oh, I'm going to be sick!"

Pepper's face paled as she saw how far from the ground they were. The lights below looked almost as tiny as the stars above them. She rapidly whipped her head back towards Tony, taking deep breaths as she focused on the light of the arc reactor. When she finally managed to stop her panic from increasing, she glanced up.

With a cocked eyebrow and the slightest of smirks on his lips, Tony was simply watching her. They weren't moving, just floating, and he wasn't looking around as wildly as she was.

Of course this is normal to him, Pepper reminded herself.

"You're being dramatic," Tony piped up. "I just saved you, you think I'm gonna let you die now?"

"Dramatic?!" Pepper screamed back, tensing in his hold. "My egocentric boss currently has me hanging 10,000 feet in the air, Tony!"

"Twelve," he corrected. "And you're right about the egocentric part. But when are you gonna lose that 'boss' term?"

"Do you even know the odds of survival of I fall?!"

"Not good, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Hey, Jarvis," Stark commented, ignoring Pepper. "What are the odds of Miss Potts surviving if I let her go right now?"

"Don't you dare!" Pepper whispered, angry.

Jarvis responded without taking Pepper's comment to heart. "Not very good, sir."

"See." Tony smirked again. "And what are the odds of the suit malfunctioning right now?"

"Well, given the depletion from the battle, sir, systems are currently at twenty-four per-"

"Okay, I get the point."

Tony shut his AI up before he could worry Pepper any further. Then, he smiled a guilty smile at the woman attached to him and waited for her to continue her assault.

"I'm never letting Happy leave me alone with you ever again," Pepper muttered, mostly to herself.

"Oh." Tony focused on her, still watching as her cheeks began to lose their blush and she settled down a little bit, growing comfortable in his grasp.

Pepper glared at him and his one word answer, but inside she knew she had finally made the great Tony Stark somewhat speechless. When he didn't look away, she swallowed.

"What?"

He opened his mouth to speak eventually, but another pause ensued.

"Tony?" she asked with more urgency. "Are you okay? Don't tell me you're dying again, I swear to God-"

"Pepper..."

The red head focused on him for a moment and suddenly didn't need to know what his answer was.

"Take me home, Mr. Stark," she demanded, suddenly flustered. "And call Happy to let him know we're okay. But you owe me a martini. Or two." She thought for a moment. "Actually, three."

Tony flashed a grin and powered up his jets again, then had Jarvis program a flight plan back to the airport.

"Hold on!"

 

 

After they had landed, she immediately pushed herself away from him, but Stark was really beginning to feel like she was enjoying herself near the end of their short flight. Despite how she spoke, her body loosened up and didn't protest his grip as much as when they first lifted off the ground.

Tony had left his helmet on the rooftop next to the explosion site, forgetting to replace it before lifting Pepper into the air, so he left it to Pepper to ring him while they got the plane ready for takeoff. Now, she was pacing back and forth before the lowered staircase up to the jet. Tony watched her and ran a hand through his hair as the exhaustion began to settle in.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked with concern as she shut her phone and ended her call with Happy.

"Good. All good."

Pepper frowned and dabbed at a bit of blood on his forehead.

Tony protested. "Pep!"

She stopped and looked at him.

"I'm here, I'm alive, okay? Tired. Just very tired," he confirmed.

Stark glanced at the plane. "Think you can make it back in one piece? I don't want to do that whole last minute pickup thing all over again tonight."

"You're not coming with us?" Pepper asked, shocked.

"Unless you've got a way of getting this suit off on that jet that I don't know about-"

"But you'll fall asleep flying!"

"-preferably in a fun way... I'll make it back before you do," he reminded her.

Pepper gave up the fight, but ran the back of her hand along his breast plate to display her worry.

"You know, two days ago you wanted to hurl something at my head," Tony informed her. "And now you're upset because a couple robots actually tried to."

"I'm upset because it wasn't me," she teased.

"Ouch."

She ignored him. "Tony-"

"Present."

"-that day, with the strawberries-"

"Which you're allergic to."

Pepper smiled - he was learning.

"Forget it," Tony told her. "Forget about it. Doesn't matter now."

"Yes, but-"

"You forgive me, right?"

Stark focused on his assistant while she tried to think of what to say next even though he was clearly overwhelming her. Sure, he had made an awkward attempt at telling her how he felt, and tried to apologize, but didn't kissing her make up for some of that? They were past that now.

"Right. Good." He decided for her. "How long till Happy gets here?"

Pepper sighed and let her shoulders relax. "Ten minutes. Unless he takes a shortcut.

"He'll take the shortcut," Tony nodded, knowing his driver's tendencies. "But I'll wait with you."

"That isn't necessary, Mr. Stark," she whispered.

"Of course it is, Miss Potts," he hummed back.

Tony's stare smoldered into Pepper's eyes, making her cheeks hot for yet another time that night. This wasn't the light hearted, kind look he had given hear before their kiss - that one was desperate. Now, he was being playful. Briefly, her mind jumped into memories from their past: Tony with his many women, Pepper dealing with the aftermath... None of it gave her hope, but a small voice in her head was telling her to ignore those things - Tony had practically been her closest friend for years, now, and there had been tension between them since his return from Afghanistan.

"You're thinking too much," Tony told her. "Do I really make you that nervous?"

Pepper watched him smirk. "I'm more nervous of myself, Mr. Stark," she told him simply.

Oh, she's good, Tony thought to himself while he watched her bite her lip slightly. "What's with these names? Mr. Stark, boss... Come on, Pep, it's me."

"And that's the problem!" she finally exclaimed, her feeling exploding into one big storm.

"Okay. Surprisingly that's not the first time I've been told that." Tony pressed his lips together. "I think it's time we drop the titles."

"Why?" she asked. "I work for you. And Stark Industries. You employed me, so naturally-"

"But you quit."

Her eyes narrowed. "But you won't let me."

"Right, because we're a team. Teams are equals. Unless you like me bossing you around," he tossed in, grinning.

Pepper contemplated smacking him, but realized she'd probably only hurt herself by trying. She was used to his sexual innuendos, so why was she suddenly embarrassed by them?

"I have never wanted out of this suit more in my life," he whined, adding a pathetic snarl to emphasize his frustration.

Pepper cleared her throat and leaned up towards him - while he was in the Iron Man armor, he had a good few inches over her, even with heels.

"Neither have I," she whispered, her words leaving a warm tingling on his lips as they escaped her mouth.

Before Tony could react, Pepper fell back down so she was out of reach, and the brightness of headlights pulling onto the tarmac warned him Happy had arrived.

"You okay, boss?!" he asked immediately after escaping the driver's seat.

"Again, with this 'boss' stuff..." Tony complained, shooing them into the jet. "Talk about it later. Race ya back to Malibu."

"You'll win!" Hogan replied, already defeated.

Tony grinned. "That's the plan." 

 

 

Tony touched down in the workshop bay with Jarvis waiting for his arrival just over two hours later after taking a detour to grab some food. No one in Malibu was stunned when he arrived as Iron Man anymore, but he still loved watching them fangirl over him when it happened.

While the jet was prepping for takeoff, he launched himself from the tarmac and roared past Pepper's window; he hoped he had managed to make her jump. They would be another few hours or so, so he had time to kill.

Jarvis immediately began disassembling the Iron Man armor so Tony would finally be free. As it came off in pieces, he sighed in relief, even though actually moving his muscles on his own without the weight of the armor felt weird and made his limbs sore.

"Careful..." he mumbled, trying not to grimace.

Tony rubbed his arms as he stepped off the platform, taking a look around at the workshop he had quickly abandoned to make it to New York in time. Several screens were brought back up as Jarvis rebooted the systems for him, stuck where he left them on the arc reactor project. He made a mental note as he wandered past them to actually do said tests that he bypassed after producing the new element.

"Jarvis, current time?"

"12:14 AM, Pacific Standard Time, sir," the voice echoed.

Tony groaned as he came to a stop in front of the small kitchen counter to the side of the open room.

"Pull up ATC?" he requested and poured himself a drink.

A moment, and then, "Miss Potts should be touching down in roughly an hour and twenty minutes."

"Early."

Tony did a quick calculation in his head. Then, he turned back away from the counter so he could lean against it and folded his free arm across his torso.

"Shall I alert you once they've landed?" Jarvis offered kindly.

"Yeah, do that."

He took a swig, swished it around before swallowing, then set the glass down. He needed a shower. Badly. And sleep. But he also knew he still owed Pepper that apology and wouldn't be half surprised if she didn't wait until the morning to check on him. Then, he remembered what she'd return to.

"Any contractors up at this hour?"

"Dum-E has cleared most of the glass, as you requested, sir. Perhaps Miss Potts can contact someone to refinish the structural decay in the morning?"

"Good idea. Remind me to have her do that."

No, do it yourself, a voice in the back of his mind told him. She isn't your assistant anymore. Or CEO. But she's kind of your...girlfriend? Dare he venture there?

"Jarvis, you think I could ever handle a relationship?"

A moment passed.

"It would depend on with who, sir."

"Rhodey," he teased. "He could handle me."

"It's a possibility."

"Thanks, I guess..." Stark muttered, then pushed himself away from the counter to head towards the stairs. "Power lights in the rest of the house? And start repairs on that suit. When I come back we need to make some modifications."

"Of course, sir," Jarvis agreed as the glass door opened to let Tony out. "And might I request more diagnostics on the new arc reactor?"

"Later."

Tony didn't listen to whatever Jarvis had responded with. Instead, he made a beeline up the stairs and for his bedroom - not the one he entertained in, but the one he actually slept in. It concerned him that he would no longer need a spare, so he would just have to convert it into a guest room. Happy could have it.

A shower was exactly what he needed. He was still exhausted, but he was clean and exhausted and at least presentable on the off chance Pepper stopped by. He let the water run for a while, hoping it would relax his sore muscles, but it only gave him time to process the past few hours. Usually, he could hop in and out quickly, but not after the long night. He needed better security on the suits. He needed Rhodey's suit back. And he needed -

"Sir, power is currently at ninety-eight percent on the suit."

Jarvis had caught him off guard, initiating a sigh from Stark.

"That was fast," he mumbled, though he was grateful; it meant the damage was mostly external and his lack of energy probably didn't help matters.

"It's been an hour, sir," Jarvis replied with worry.

Sometimes Tony forgot Jarvis was an AI with how personal he had become through adaptations. Still, he hadn't realized he had taken that long, so it was probably for the best. He grabbed a towel and patted his head a few times, then tossed on an old t-shirt and jeans and made his way back down to the workshop.

He powered on a few of the televisions to keep an eye on news headlines - luckily, Iron Man wasn't part of them...yet. Then, he set up the work station to the side of his desk. Tony had Jarvis bring up a table with the suit sprawled out, now patched and ready to go for the next time he'd need it.

"Hey, Jar, what would you put as an estimated time for one of these guys to fully recharge?" Tony asked the unit while studying the area of the breast plate that was formerly ridden with bullet holes.

"With internal damage, sir?"

"Yeah, missing pieces, cut wires...the whole shebang. What's that put us at? Two, three hours?"

"Negative, sir," Jarvis told him sadly. "A whole system reboot could take up to five hours."

"So, say we get attacked in that five hours..." Tony rambled, his focus solely on the suit. "What then?"

"Well..." Jarvis was struggling to find the answer Tony wanted. "The suit would not be ready."

"Gotta have more firepower..." Stark thought out loud, realizing he could probably benefit from a backup. "Load a new file? Title Mark VII."

"Another Mark, sir?" Jarvis sounded as spent as Tony.

"Hey, don't give me that sass!" Stark scolded back. "New core, new suits. I want a backup in case this one gets powered down. Copy layout?"

"Copied."

"Good. Now bring up the projection."

A virtual blueprint of the Mark VI suit appeared into the air over the laid-out pieces. Tony swiped a few things away, then focused on the helmet.

"What's the security protocol I put on here, Jarvis?" he asked casually. "And set a reminder to visit Rhodey tomorrow."

Tony was suddenly realizing he had been so caught up in perfecting the suit, he forgot to keep it all for himself. Fury had been right - literally anyone could walk in and take one of the suits without another word, just like Rhodey had.

"There is currently no protocol on the Mark units, sir," Jarvis informed him.

Tony frowned, watching the blueprint flicker in front of him. Then, it dawned on him. "Have any photos of Pepper?"

"Of course..." Jarvis confirmed while trailing off to pull a few up. "...but may I ask, what you need it for? Is Miss Potts all right?"

"She's fine," Tony muttered, swiping through and finally deciding on a headshot. "This one. Can we add a retinal scan?"

"Easily, sir."

"Do it. Me, Pepper," he sighed, "Rhodey. Hell, throw Happy in there too."

A few moments passed while Jarvis loaded the information into the suits systems, but once he was finished, Tony was eager to test it out. He lifted the helmet from the table onto his head and waited for the screen to load; it felt heavy on him without the rest of the armor.

"All uploaded, sir," he heard Jarvis' voice update him through the side speakers in the helmet.

"Run a test?"

As Tony requested, a blue bar appeared and read his eyes to ensure the user was verified to take the suit out.

"Welcome, Mr Stark," Jarvis responded. "All access is now restricted to outside users, as per your request."

Tony grinned triumphantly. "Good. Apply those changes here and to the new suit. Then we'll talk endurance."

As he removed the helmet to set it back down on the table, Jarvis alerted Stark of an incoming call.

"Time?" Tony asked the empty workshop. Who the hell is calling me at this hour?

"Roughly 2:30 AM."

"Has Pepper landed?" 

"Miss Potts and Mr Hogan had arrived about a half an hour ago, sir."

"Has she called?"

"Not yet."

"No trace on this call?"

"Sir, it seems to be coming from...one of your suits..."

"Fine, patch it through."

"Of course."

Tony made his way back to his desk as he waited to hear the sarcastic banter from the only other person with access to the Iron Man armor.

"Tony!" an excited Rhodey greeted. His voice surrounded the room in echoes.

Stark wanted to smack himself for not assuming it was his friend earlier, but since he had been up for almost a day straight, he gave himself a break. He sat, lifted his shirt, and inspected the new arc reactor he had installed so he didn't have to fidget around with his hands while he waited for the suits to process the new tweaks. It glowed, stronger than ever, reminding him that he was finally healthy again.

"Rhodes," he replied while attaching a few wires to his chest. "How's my suit?"

"Feels great, looks great," Rhodey teased.

"You know how it would look better?" Tony answered without missing a beat. "If it was back in my workshop. Here."

"Eh," was all Rhodey gave him back.

"Jarvis," Stark commanded, "you can run your diagnostics now." Tony paused as his AI complied. Then, he realized it sounded like wind on the call. "Where are you, anyway?"

"Base called me back. On my way out over seas right now."

"You're taking my suit there?"

Rhodey ignored him, knowing full well it wasn't the first time he had landed on base in the silver armor. "How's Pepper?"

"When did I say you could take it there?"

Stark avoided the question as best as he could as a window popped up on his desktop to alert him a car was approaching the door, though he could almost hear Rhodey grinning through the call.

"Sir," Jarvis interrupted quietly. "Miss Potts has arrived."

"You two better not be weird when I get back or-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get back to you on that," Tony mumbled as he ended the call, cutting his friend off.

"Tony?" he heard Pepper call from upstairs somewhere, probably nearing the staircase. "I can't believe you haven't cleaned this up yet!" A frustrated sigh came, then, "I'm just dropping off some of this paperwork I drafted on the way back."

He noticed her slim legs appear on the stairs, and then soon after she stood near the glass door, punching in her code. Tony spun his chair fully around to face her as she gained access to the workshop; instinctively, he began pulling the wires off of his chest in a hurry.

Pepper didn't see it at first. "If I leave them here can you please promise to look over them before I go back to the - oh my God!"

Yup, she had noticed.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?!" Pepper sounded furious and somehow, still shocked by what she walked in on him doing.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He smirked.

"Is that new?" 

"Soft of." Tony tapped on the reactor a few times. "Same reactor. Different element."

Pepper walked towards him and around the desk to inspect it. He noted how her lip rose to one side when she was trying to process his dramatic stunts.

"Take a picture, honey," he offered, beaming.

"You're still dying, aren't you?!" she exclaimed.

"Nope, definitely not dying."

"You promised me you were okay!"

"Right. Not dying."

"I don't know why I should have listened to you," Pepper went on, too caught up in her rant to notice he was giving her good news.

"Pepper-"

"Of course you wouldn't tell me the truth!"

"Pepper!" Tony snapped.

Finally, Pepper stopped talking, her mouth shutting slowly with embarrassment. She tried her best to regain her composure, but immediately began to feel hot with shame.

"I was dying," Stark told her, pulling his shirt back down and standing up to her height. "The Palladium buildup was more than we expected. The suit wasn't helping."

Pepper softened and repositioned herself on her feet. "So you were killing youself?"

"Technically," Tony admitted. "But I'm good now. It's a long story, we'll go over it one day."

She frowned, once again disgusted. "Is that supposed to be your apology?"

"That was the informal one."

She crossed her arms. "Then where's the formal-"

Before she could ridicule him further, Tony did something else he never imagined he would do. He stepped forward and pulled his assistant into a hug, one arm holding her tightly to him; it was a real hug, not one just to please her and send her off.

"Pepper," he muttered into her hair. "I am sorry. I should've told you."

Not knowing how to respond, the red head stood rigid against her boss until he released her.

"Come here," he ordered, taking her hand.

"What?" she whispered, staring blankly at his boyish smile.

Tony lead her to the table where the Iron Man armor was still laid out. He picked up the helmet and handed it to her. She accepted it with confusion.

"Did you just say sorry?" Pepper was still stuck on his words.

"Put it on," Tony instructed.

Pepper snapped back into reality. "I'm not putting this on, Tony-"

"Not gonna make this easy, are you?"

Stark moved behind her and helped his assistant lift the helmet onto her head. He was glad he asked her to do it then; she probably would've had some kind of issue with using any piece of the suit had she not been so surprised by his sincerity. He waited until Jarvis scanned her over before placing his hands on her shoulders. Then, he imagined the systems loading and detailing each and every thing in her viewfinder.

"Hello, Miss Potts," he heard his system greet Pepper from inside the helmet.

"Jarvis?" Pepper spoke quietly in awe of finally seeing what Tony saw on his missions.

"Yes, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark has added you to the security protocol."

Pepper lifted the helmet back off of her head slowly, struggling a little. As Tony realized she was done with it, he grabbed it from her hands above her head and set it lightly back down into place next to the rest of the suit without removing himself from behind her. Then, he returned to Pepper and let his hands rest on her hips; suddenly, the tension between them from before was back.

"Just in case you ever need it and I'm not here," Tony whispered into her ear, sending chills down her body.

"Or if you throw another drunken fit on your birthday..." Pepper added.

He breathed a chuckle onto her skin, taking in the light scent of what was left of her perfume for the day; she was right. He stayed still for a moment, enjoying their closeness, until she spun around to face him. Her eyes were light and she had the slightest smile on her lips; she looked content.

Tony studied her for a few seconds longer before dropping his gaze to her lips, and then back up, hoping he wasn't about to make a mistake. Then, he pulled her back into him, this time not so franticly, and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her gently as he felt her hands move to warm the skin of his biceps, but then pulled back to assess the situation.

Pepper's eyes fluttered open softly, blinking back at him. She fought her heart for a moment, realizing how different it was between them now; he was her employer not even a day ago, and here they were, kissing for what was the third time that night.

"Tony..." she managed, giving in, and that was enough.

Reading her tone, Tony crushed his lips back on hers in a searing kiss. His force sent her stumbling backwards, but he stabilized her easily. Once they regained their composure, he cupped her face to deepen their kiss, knowing it was now more than the innocent romance they shared on the rooftop earlier in the night.

When her back ran into the front side of his desk, Pepper gasped, breaking their connection. Tony took advantage, and before she was able to steady her breathing, he pinned her to the desk with one arm on either side of her and began nipping at the soft skin of her neck.

"Tony," she whispered again, running her hands through his hair. "We're going to...need...some sleep," she breathed.

"Good idea," he agreed, grinning against her. 

Pepper squealed as he grabbed hold of her and lifted her into the air. He had her wrap her legs around her waist for support, and she easily complied.

"That's not-" she began, but Tony silenced her with another kiss, and before she knew it, they were making their way up the staircase and to the main floor.

Once he found his room, Pepper landed fully on top of Tony as he fell back down onto the bed, lips still locked. She felt her skin warm at his touch on her arms, and felt him leave a gentle tickle where his beard pressed against her chin. Then, her brain followed his hands slip down, slowly from behind her back to her hips, and then finally...

Pepper broke off the kiss, panting. "Tony, I-"

He opened his eyes and looked at her with concern.

Pepper felt a pang of guilt run through her body as she saw the lust in his chocolate eyes, but she couldn't let herself do what they were about to do. She had seen nights like this too many times before and knew nothing ever lasted with Tony Stark. Yes, they had history, but she couldn't just give herself away to him so easily. She wouldn't be one of the others.

"I just, I can't do this," she finally managed to get out, still straddled on top of him.

Stark blinked, but nodded slightly. "Right. No. No, it's okay," he told her.

"It is?"

"It's good."

"I mean, I'm sorry. I really am." Embarrassment was taking over.

"Don't be."

"Are you sure? Because-"

"I get it."

Pepper swallowed, then nodded and rolled off of him. Looking around, she realized he hadn't just treated her like one of his others; he had brought her to his room. Not the room he went to for...strenuous activities...but the room he actually slept in, the one he escaped to when he was done with his other girls...the one only she had seen.

"I can make up the spare room, if you want it," Tony offered. 

Pepper grimaced at the thought of using the same bed the rest of the women had spent the night in.

"Or the couch," Tony recommended instead.

When she didn't answer, he kept talking to fill the void.

"I'll call someone to clean the place up tomorrow. Oh, and I'm thinking a press conference. Maybe we can get the Expo back on its feet in a few weeks or something..."

Pepper finally brought her gaze back to Tony and gave him the same look she had in the city.

"No." She was back to whispering.

"No?" Stark asked. Had he offended her?

Pepper smiled and shook her head. "No," she repeated. "You don't have to do that."

"Pep, are you sure? I don't really think you should be going home alone at this hour-" He trailed off, watching her soft gaze on him. "Or...you can stay...here..."

Tony wasn't sure what made him want to offer her to stay with him - no sex, just sleeping - but it had just come out. Damn it, he yelled at himself. You're softening up. 

"Here?" Pepper repeated blankly.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Here. With me. We can just sleep. Nothing fancy." He watched, waiting desperately for a response. "If it's not weird."

"It's not," Pepper tossed back easily, even though it sort of was.

She felt her heart beating a million miles a minute, but realizing he was right about the time, she made a quick decision to accept his offer. She looked him over for a minute, the arc reactor shining from beneath the thin material of his shirt, until her eyes fell back onto his face. Suddenly nervous, she felt a harsh blush creep over her cheeks as she nodded and kicked off her heels. This was the same man she had spent many years working for. Sure, he changed after coming back from his few months in captivity, but this was still her boss - the person she could never take seriously before that incident. He was too familiar to her - his dark brown eyes, the way his cheeks creased when he smiled, the ridiculous sunglasses he always wore to match his facial hair - all of it was part of his appeal to the outside world. And yet, it was comforting to Pepper now. Somehow in the past few months, she had gotten used to their banter; they had become some sort of friends, as difficult as he had made it to get there. He would toss her a sarcastic, sometimes sexualized comment, and she would either ignore it and move on or retaliate with something that left him wondering. She could tolerate all of his childish antics and his dangerous projects and his lack of ability to stick to a schedule before, but now he seemed more mature, even lying there waiting for her response. He was becoming more...normal. 

The echo of the shoes hitting the floor made Tony come back into reality as he realized this was the first time in a very long time that he'd actually be sharing a bed with someone just to sleep. He was Tony Stark; he didn't do things like this...but somehow, with Pepper, things were different now. She was familiar to him, and even after all the years they spent together, he never got sick of her. He actually wanted her to stay. Was he...?

"Pep," he whispered as she settled down in bed next to him and stared at the ceiling. "I-"

She turned her head towards him expectantly, but deciding to play it safe, he smiled and took her hand in his as they both laid on their backs in a very neutral position.

"Goodnight," he told her kindly, feeling her smile through the warmth of their contact.


	2. Reputations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or any part of the Marvel/Iron Man universe...though I do wish I lived in it. Excuse me if I miss a few details...this is my attempt to get back into writing after about a year break. Please read and review!!

Everything was dark, except for a dull flame to the right. A shadow of a few bars stuck up in front of it. A chill filled the room, temporarily blowing out the source of heat. Silence. Then, a rattle at the door as someone or something tried to jam it open.

Tony woke with a shudder, his eyes wide and panting as though he had just run a marathon. It was just a dream; just the small parts left behind from Afghanistan that occasionally still haunted him. He blinked and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. It had to be early, but it wasn't unusual; he was used to not getting enough sleep. Then, a weight shifted on his chest and he panicked momentarily before realizing what wasn't a dream.

Soft, red hair draped over his chest near the blue light radiating from the arc reactor, keeping him warm.

Pepper.

He glanced down at her, suddenly careful not to touch her. She was curled up on her side, holding onto the sheets with one hand and her other rested on his stomach. Her head was carefully placed on his chest. Stark wasn't used to such a circumstance; it wasn't every day he woke up with his assistant sleeping on him.

He glanced under the covers quickly to make sure nothing happened past what he remembered from the night before.

Still clothed.

Swallowing, Tony contemplated what to do next. It wasn't how the fell asleep – he did remember that. Should he wait for her to wake up? No, that wasn't how Tony Stark operated. But it was Pepper, and she was different.

Sighing, he remembered the plans for the day; Jarvis hadn't woken them up yet, but he could get a head start on figuring out just what the hell to say at the press conference. Happy would be there bright and early, surely at least to check up on him.

Happy.

Stark groaned. How would he explain this one to him? There would be no keeping secrets now, especially if Pepper wasn't ready by the time he arrived.

Making a decision, Tony attempted to roll out of the bed without disturbing Pepper. She shifted, but allowed him to leave without issues. Then, he fumbled his way sleepily into the walk-in closet.

"Jarvis," he summoned when he had closed the door behind him.

"Good morning, sir."

Then, the lights turned on and blinded him.

"Time?"

"6:33 AM, sir."

Another groan from Tony; the alarm wasn't set to go off until seven. He hated not being able to sleep, but there was no point in trying to get comfortable again, especially with Pepper still in his bed. It was weird enough that they were now sort of a thing – waking happily with her would make too much else change too quickly.

Tony pulled off his shirt and bumped around until he managed to pull a clean dress shirt off a shelf. He ignored the fact that he was still wearing jeans; it wasn't like him to be formal about anything Stark Industries or Iron Man anymore, anyway. Besides, Pepper was usually his stylist, but he wasn't sure if she still held that job title after the previous night, and to be honest, the press was lucky if he was even sober, so he was already one up on them.

He exited the closet quietly after locating a pair of comfortable shoes. Pepper was still asleep, so he shuffled out of the room and headed down to the main floor to get something to put in his stomach. He was met with a surprise as he entered the kitchen.

"You're here early," Tony grunted, only briefly letting his eyes land on his driver.

Happy was waiting, snacking on a piece of toast, at the island. "And you're awake early. And dressed, I'm impressed. Jarvis let me in."

"I wouldn't have guessed," Tony retorted sarcastically while opening several cabinets and trying to locate the espresso cups Pepper always filled for him.

"Need some help, boss?" Happy chewed.

"Nope." Tony was determined to do it himself.

A glass fell from the cabinet above his head and shattered on the counter.

"It's like Groundhog Day," Stark muttered, not stopping to clean up the shattered glass; he had grown used to stepping around it the past few weeks.

He didn't notice Happy get up and come to his side, but didn't put up a fight when his driver and security detail pushed past him to grab a small glass cup and shove it under the espresso machine. The driver pushed a few buttons and looked at Tony with a raised eyebrow.

"I could've done that," Tony muttered.

Happy rolled his eyes. "You're useless without Pepper."

"No. Not entirely true." Then, after another glance at his friend, he added, "maybe a little. But in my defense, I had a pretty long night."

"You had a long night?"

"Well, yeah. Fighting a group of killer robots does that to you sometimes."

Happy handed the espresso shot to Tony, who accepted it graciously but hesitated to drink it. Would Pepper expect coffee? How did normal couples act in the morning?

"Where is Pepper, anyway?" Happy pressed, sitting back down to finish his toast. "She's usually the one to pull your ass out of bed."

 

 

"Good morning, Miss Potts. It is 7:00 AM."

Jarvis's voice rang out as light began seeping into the room and the windows lost their tint, startling Pepper awake. She knew the AI system's protocol well, hearing it dozens of times while waiting for Tony's latest venture stumbled out of his spare room in confusion.

Tony.

Pepper shot up in the bed, clutching the blanket in her hands.

"Jarvis, where am I?"

"Stark mansion, Miss Potts. In Mr. Stark's bedroom. I'm afraid you slept here..."

Pepper studied the room; it wasn't the usual one the 'trash' woke up in, and her clothes were still thankfully on.

"Did I...did we...?" she asked Jarvis, who denied her fears, sending a wave of relief over her.

Then, she remembered; lack of sleep must have been getting to her. Tony had shared his home with her, and he was actually human about it. She smiled to herself for a second as her heart fluttered, taking a deep breath as she began to relax. Maybe things could change...until the public found out. The press would be all over them, of course, and she could already imagine the headlines disgracing her like one of Tony's other one night stands. How could she possibly keep CEO if they found out?

Sighing, she slipped back into her heels and checked herself in Tony's bathroom mirror. Her hair needed straightened up, but she didn't have time now that she had woken up late. Tossing it into a ponytail, she made her way to the closet to pick up one of Tony's suit jackets – he never remembered to put one on without her – and progressed out of the room in search of her usual morning coffee, assuming Stark had already found his place back in the workshop for the day.

"Mr. Stark?" Pepper called as she neared the main space. "I'm..." she trailed off as she laid eyes on the two men in the kitchen.

Suddenly embarrassed, Pepper tugged at her blouse to hopefully tuck it in a little better and tried to clear her mind; she and Tony had left things on a good note the night before – maybe things could work out after all.

Happy watched her intently, last bit of toast in hand, as the red head made her way over to the kitchen island.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," she hummed while helping him into a suit jacket and running her hand through his hair to tidy him up.

"Tony," he corrected for the hundredth time.

Then, Pepper grabbed her blackberry, still sitting on the counter where she left it the night before with her schedule and laptop, and typed in a few things in silence. Smiling warmly, she looked back up at the two.

"The press will be ready in an hour," she instructed. "Hi, Happy," she added.

Then, Pepper grabbed the shot of espresso from Tony's hand and downed it herself for an extra jolt before gathering her things and preparing to move into the car to make their way downtown to the Stark Industries building. He brewed the shot himself, so he could remake it...she hoped.

Tony watched her go, a smirk appearing on his face as he tilted his head to watch her backside leave; it was an old pastime of his, but today, he made it more apparent.

"Is...is she..." Happy stuttered, mouth agape as he tried to find words for Stark after that.

Tony look at his driver expectedly, confidence radiating from him. He no longer needed that espresso.

"Is she wearing the same clothes as last night?" Hogan finally finished, looking ghostly as he let his mind make conclusions.

A smile crept onto Tony's face as he fished out his shaded sunglasses from the inside jacket pocket and put them on, giving him his signature Tony Stark look. He shrugged, then followed Pepper out to the car. He did a once around as he neared the door, holding his arms out as he faced Happy as in invitation to get moving, but didn't say anything more.

 

 

Happy closed the door behind his boss after he loaded into the back seat of the town car. He had taken a few minutes to process inside, and now made a mental note of keeping an eye on the two as he got himself situated in the driver's seat.

Tony caught his eye in the rearview mirror as he pulled out of the driveway and raised an eyebrow to confront him.

"Watch the road, Hap," he told him carefully.

But Happy wasn't taking his sass. "I'm watching you, boss."

"That's...unsettling," Tony replied with a fake shiver.

"What is going on with you two?" Pepper snapped, looking up from her notebook where she was detailing the day's events.

"Nothing, dear."

Stark wasn't sure where the pet name had come from, but he rolled with it; worst case, Happy and Pepper would take it as a joke. It wasn't the first time he had called Pepper something like that...she usually just brushed it off.

The red head shot him a glare to scold him.

"No?" Tony continued, back to his upbeat banter.

Happy's eyes caught Pepper's and she sheepishly looked back down at her work until Tony placed his hand gently on her knee.

"So I've been thinking," Tony began.

"That's not a good thing," Pepper muttered, keeping her focus down to avoid showing him her blushed cheeks.

He ignored her. "Let's move the Expo to LA."

"That's a horrible idea."

"And extend it another year."

"No."

"And end it with a bang. A big party. In Malibu."

"Cancel the Expo, Tony," Pepper ordered in a monotone voice.

He frowned. "No party?"

"No party," she confirmed, finally looking back at him. "You really want to have another party when your house is still shattered into a million pieces?"

"Yes." He grinned like a child.

Pepper sighed, shaking her head. "You didn't even remember to sign the papers I left for you," she told him. "How am I to trust you won't set the house on fire again?"

Tony cleared his throat, smirking at his assistant and co-CEO as he leaned over to sign the ones she conveniently left open for him on the seat between them.

"I was kind of busy last night."

"Mr. Stark, I'm sure Happy doesn't need to hear all about your escapades from last night..."

Happy coughed unexpectedly, proving to Pepper that he had figured things out. She shot Tony a look that threatened him harm if he didn't stop, but he decided to press on.

"I was modding the suit, Pepper," he huffed. "Remember? You were there."

Happy's eyes flashed up to the mirror once more and focused on the backseat as Tony teased the girl, running his thumb across her neck where he had just kissed the night before.

Pepper flinched. "Mr. Stark, I do not appreciate-"

Stark interrupted her. "You took off my-"

"I knew it!" Happy exclaimed from the front seat, swerving the car when he remembered he was still driving.

The two in the back seat snapped their heads around to focus on the driver. Pepper lifted her lip in her infamous look of bewilderment, while Tony draped his arm across the backseat and smiled wickedly.

"-my helmet," Stark concluded. "Tested out some new security for my helmet. You okay up there, Hap?"

Happy nodded, unable to form words.

Pepper, on the other hand was not finding the situation as entertaining as her boss. She watched him, fuming, and put up the divider between them and the driver.

Tony had his famed smirk slapped across his face, and his eyes danced with amusement behind his rose-tinted sunglasses. This was the same look she'd known for years, which didn't help matters; it was the look he gave when he tried to secure a woman for the night. Even though he had definitely matured since they first met, some things could never be removed from her mind.

"Mr. Stark," Pepper began.

"Tony!"

"Tony," she snapped, humoring his correction. "I am trying to run a company, and if you want to run it alongside me, that's fine, but this," she motioned between them, "cannot happen. End of story."

"So there is a 'this'?" Stark probed. He took her hand in his. "Come on, Pep."

Instinctively, she pulled it from him as soon as he took it and shook her head. "No one can know."

"As in we'll sneak around behind their backs, or-"

"As in last night never happened."

Tony frowned – Pepper meant business. Had he missed something since their quick spark in his kitchen?

"Rhodey knows," Tony pointed out, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat while he wished he had a drink to tide him over.

"Rhodey also knows how to keep a secret," Pepper told him softly.

She felt a little guilty leading him on, but there was no way she was ready to let the media tear her apart.

Stark sniffled a little to clear his senses before responding to her.

"Got it, forget it happened," he muttered, looking out the window.

Even though it was her decision, Pepper felt suddenly hurt and felt some need to explain herself so their friendship didn't tarnish.

"Look, Tony," she breathed nervously. "You and I work together. And with how you are with girls and alcohol and parties...and what would the papers say?! I can't keep my position as CEO like you want if the public knows. They already think I don't have the qualifications to run your company as it is. You saw the reports."

Tony whipped his head towards his PA urgently. "Is that how you see me?"

"Of course not."

He narrowed his eyes, studying her. "You think you're one of them?"

Pepper looked down, trying again to mask her guilt. She wasn't sure how to respond.

Tony took the silence to heart and turned back towards the window. "Right. I guess I'm still the same immature bastard that I was when you met me, even while I'm living a double life saving the world from insane supervillains."

Rolling her eyes to herself, Pepper sighed and opened the divider to speak to Happy again, who was already very attentive to the rearview mirror.

"Happy, how much longer?"

He shifted his gaze back to the road, sensing the tension in the vehicle.

"Fifteen minutes."

Pepper stared back at her date book and blackberry, continuing her work as the rest of the car ride was shared in silence – a first while working with Tony Stark.

 

 

Despite her attempts at trying to rehearse with Tony what he would say for the press, Pepper was not able to get him to drop the attitude towards her and feel confident enough to let him go on his own. She followed suit as Happy walked Stark up to the podium and tried her best not to be blinded by the camera flashes or blown deaf by the questions flying their way. She was used to it, though, so she made a simple introduction, then stood to the side as support.

Tony slouched on the podium of the small room, balancing his chin in one hand and gazed out into the sea of reporters. He'd done this many, many times before, but this was the first time he actually cared about watching what he would say or do in front of them. Angering Pepper further was not on his list of things to do that day.

"I'll try not to blow anything up today," he began with a joke, receiving a bit of commotion form the crowd below him.

He stood up straight in hesitation and removed his sunglasses and placed them in his jacket pocket. Should he go funny, or should he go serious? He glanced at Pepper. Serious it was.

"Look, you know why you're all here, why I'm here. I know you all want me to make some huge apology and explain what you saw last night or what happened here a few weeks ago. Truth is..."

Another pause. Should he really tell them he was dying?

"Truth is, I'm not that person."

Camera flashes began, capturing his useless words for the newspapers.

"I'm not like my father, I'm not in control of everything...I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. What I do know is that I can't stand here and tell you I'm sorry or that I can fix things, because I can't. But, Miss Potts, over here..."

Tony directed their attention briefly to her as he motioned her way. He, too, looked, but found no sense of humor or lightness on her face, which frustrated him. Yes, he wasn't sticking to what she wanted him to talk about, but he wasn't a total train wreck...yet.

"I know you're all questioning why she gets to be CEO. Truth is, she's been helping me run this company for years."

Tony was interrupted by a young girl in the crowd, a brunette, maybe twenty-five, who didn't seem to care about the current CEO of Stark Industries.

"Will you be canceling the Expo?"

Stark blinked at her, a smirk forming at his lips. "I say we keep the party going, what about you? We can fix up Manhattan. Screen the rest of the presentations. We can extend the Expo into the New Year..."

Pepper scowled at him, furious and ready to interject.

Tony flashed her a grin, giving up on trying to make her happy. If she didn't appreciate him, he'd make sure someone damn well did.

"And while we're at it," he announced, "I say we have a repeat of my birthday – 'cept without the scary ending - in Malibu, tonight." He pointed to the girl. "You're invited too, sweetheart."

Tony's speech reminded Pepper of the opening to the Stark Expo itself, full of pep and power. She wasn't having it. She took a step towards Tony, hoping to stop him and take over, but he continued.

"Miss Potts," he greeted with another smile. "Will you be attending?"

She faked a laugh and gave him a look that screamed 'you're done'; it was the same look he got when she tried to stop said birthday party earlier in the month.

"Tony," she whispered, trying to cover the mic with her hand. "We talked about this. No Expo. No party."

"And no relationship, got it," he snapped back quickly, loud enough for the room to hear.

Pepper groaned, her cheeks flushing as she squeezed her eyes shut and wished herself anywhere but where they were.

"Once again, the only woman I haven't kissed, Pepper Potts," Stark introduced with a couple claps, dramatically giving her the stage with his own bit of revenge.

The red head's skin almost matched her hair as reporters asked her to comment on Stark's last few words, noticing his irritable mood. She didn't dare watch him off the stage; she knew he would've made it more awkward if she did, even behind the sunglasses he tossed back on. Instead, Pepper decided to ignore the flying questions asking about the level of professionalism of their relationship and decided to focus on the company issues.

"Hi, thank you," she mumbled into the mic, hushing the gathered people. "Thank you all so, so much for coming out here today. I am very sorry about Mr. Stark's...enthusiasm."

Yes, that was the right word.

"Due to the horrible outcome of the incident at the Stark Expo in Manhattan yesterday, the rest of the event will be canceled indefinitely."

"Does that mean there's no future Expo?" the brunette asked again.

"Mr. Stark and I have not decided that at this time," Pepper confirmed. Then, she had to talk over them once more. "We will co-CEO Stark Industries until further notice."

"And Hammer's droids?" a male reporter called from the back. "Will the military be utilizing them?"

"We do not anticipate that, no," Pepper responded carefully. "I'm sure Mr. Stark will be in touch with Colonel Rhodes, and-"

"With all due respect, Miss Potts," the woman near the front interrupted again. "Do you really think Mr. Stark is suitable to handle such a big task?"

From the side, Tony stood with his arms folded and an eyebrow cocked, waiting for her answer. It was a test, and she knew it.

"Mr. Stark..." she thought carefully, "is an intelligent, careful person, whether or not he chooses to show that when he needs to."

She almost said responsible, but knowing Tony was going to push for his party and there was really nothing she could do except advise against it, that was probably not the best choice in words.

"Is that why the Avengers have sought out Iron Man?"

A chuckle broke out around the room and made her shift uncomfortably. Tony hadn't mentioned anything about the Avengers to her.

"No further comment," she spoke into the mic, choosing to end the discussion before it got too out of hand.

As she gracefully walked off the stage, Pepper held her head high as she passed Tony and Happy until she reached the main door back into the restricted part of the Stark Industries building. Then, once they were all settled behind closed doors, she lost her cool.

"This is exactly why I can't trust you to take back CEO!" she yelled as she paced in front of Tony.

He stared her straight in the face and took it, not even flinching or mustering a smile.

"I'm trying to do what's best for you, what's best for-" Pepper paused, giving him a disgusted frown. "Can you please take those awful glasses off? It's like I'm talking to you ten years ago."

That triggered him. "Ten years ago you were a lot more fun."

Pepper glared at him. "Tony! I need you here, in this conversation. Not in some blonde's bed you were with back then."

"Actually, she was in my bed."

"That's not the point!" Pepper exclaimed, groaning with annoyance.

"I'm all yours, Pep. Don't worry." He grinned.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Tony."

"Would you like me to prove it?" he asked, tearing the sunglasses back off to make direct eye contact with her.

Pepper felt her cheeks heat up, but this time more in anger than in embarrassment. She contemplated her response, but any way she thought might make things okay would destroy her in the long run, so she settled on calming herself down and collecting her things.

"I would like you to go home, Mr. Stark."

"You know what, hold that thought one sec," Tony muttered, grabbing at the cell phone that was buzzing in his pocket. He analyzed the screen, held up a finger, and took it to his ear and turned away to answer.

Pepper didn't bother to wait around. She turned to Happy, smiling quickly.

"I'm gonna stay here and get some work done. I'll call you when I'm done."

With that, Pepper turned on her heel without waiting for Tony's response and made a beeline for the staircase to head up to her office.

"Rhodey. Pepper was just talking about you. Bring my suit back yet?"

"About that," his friend responded humorously.

"Isn't funny."

"Turns out they want us in DC at the end of the week," Rhodey continued.

"I didn't do it, I swear."

"They want to honor us."

"For what? Destroying their home?" Tony snorted.

"Or saving it." He could hear Rhodey's snicker through the phone.

Stark glanced at Happy, then spun around again so he could speak quieter to his friend. He had had enough of being treated like a kid for the day.

"Fine. I'll be there Friday."

"They're honoring us on Friday, Tony."

"Okay, then I'll be there Saturday."

His phone beeped and he looked at the screen as he ignored Rhodey's response to his joke; it showed an incoming text from one of the last people he wanted to deal with.

"Yeah, hey, listen bud, gotta go."

Stark cut his friend off and hit the end call button so he could pull up the text from Coulson. Fury wants to see you, it read, along with a pair of coordinates that he copied into his map.

Then, with a sarcastic reply, he typed up a short message: Aren't you lost in the desert somewhere?

Tony shut his phone and pocketed it again, smiling at his driver proudly. "Let's go, Hap," he ordered. "Got some errands to run."

Happy sighed, realizing whatever Tony was up to wouldn't be good, but he agreed anyway and ushered him out through the crowd of remaining reporters and to his car.

 

 

About a half an hour later, still within city limits, they neared what looked like an abandoned warehouse from the outside. Tony looked out through the back window in worry, but he was sure the coordinates had gone to the right place.

"Want me to wait for you, boss?" Happy asked, glancing at the building with suspicion.

"Uh," Tony wondered out loud. "No, I'll call ya."

He removed himself from the car, not seeing a reason for Happy to get out to let him out; it was something he did for Pepper, but Iron Man didn't need protecting.

Stark wandered up to one of the doors and was greeted by two guards who escorted him inside, which happened to be completely finished and well designed. He expected nothing less, seeing as Fury was trying to prove to him the Avengers were worth a shot. They'd have to pull out the big guns to recruit him.

He was shuffled into an empty room with a table and some display monitors up. He noted their resemblance to his own in the workshop and made a mental note to compare the tech on both to see what he could do to upgrade his beyond theirs, if need be. Then, he walked up to the table, noticing a couple folders tossed upon it lazily. Reaching down, he twisted one to face him.

AVENGERS INITIATIVE PREMLIMIARY REPORT, it read.

Almost immediately, the folder was knocked from his hand and left to lie back on the table top. Tony brought his eyes from it up to a very angry looking Nick Fury.

"I don't think I want you looking at that," he demanded his deep voice holding power. "I'm not sure it pertains to you anymore." He grabbed one of the other folders. "Now this on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff's assessment of you. Read it."

Tony looked it over and chose to read it out loud; anything he could do to annoy these S.H.I.E.L.D. agents was perfectly fine by him.

"Personality overview. 'Mr. Stark displays compulsive behavior'." He looked up. "In my own defense, that was last week."

Fury silently urged him to continue.

"'Prone to self-destructive tendencies.' I was dying. I mean, please. Aren't we all?"

He didn't get a response from Fury, so he went on.

"'Textbook narcissism'?"

He looked back again, then decided Romanoff was probably right by that part.

"Agreed. Okay, here it is. 'Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative. Iron Man? Yes.'"

Attempting to close the folder with his ego big, Stark decided to toy with his company further.

"I gotta think about it."

"Read on," Fury requested.

With a straight face, Tony went back to the file.

"'Tony Stark not... not recommended'? That doesn't make any sense. How can you approve me but not approve me?"

Then, for whatever reason, he started blabbering about his highlights, as though he actually wanted to be recruited by the Avengers. Did he? No, he decided. He just didn't like being rejected. No one rejected Tony Stark.

"I got a new ticker. I'm trying to do right by Pepper. I'm in a stable...ish relationship," he lied.

His gaze followed the other man in the room as he got up and rested against the table by Tony's chair.

"Which leads us to believe at this juncture we'd only like to use you as a consultant," Fury offered.

It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no. It was a...'whenever we feel like it' type deal? It wasn't quite the big guns Tony was expecting. What was the point in calling him there, to some undisclosed location to just tell him maybe?

To stay as condescending as he could, Tony stood and held out his hand in a gesture to shake, which Fury accepted. Then, in a mocking fashion, he clasped his other hand on top of the S.H.I.E.L.D. member's hand.

"You can't afford me," Tony told him, trying to shut him down.

He turned to leave, but then, it dawned on him; the best of both worlds! He could torture Fury for much longer than just the current day, and entertain himself in DC if they really insisted on giving him an award for almost killing everyone in the city.

"Then again," Stark ventured, "I will waive my customary retainer in exchange for a small favor."

Fury didn't even twitch, but kept his focus on Tony.

"Rhodey and I are being honored in Washington and we need a presenter."

The slightest bit of a smile pulled at the man's lips as he accepted Tony's request. "I'll see what I can do."


	3. Jet Stream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or any part of the Marvel/Iron Man universe...though I do wish I lived in it.   Excuse me if I miss a few details...this is my attempt to get back into writing after about a year break.  Please read and review!

By the time Pepper had called for Happy to take her back to the house so she could get Tony's confirmation on some events before heading home herself, he had already driven their boss back from the Avengers meeting. Though Happy didn't say anything to Pepper about said meeting yet, Tony had been almost too quiet on the way home; it wasn't like him.

"Is Tony at home?" she had asked when she entered the town car.

Happy confirmed. "Dropped him off about three hours ago."

"And you didn't stay?" she questioned, almost concerned.

"Boss said he didn't need me to hang around after his meeting earlier."

"Tony had a meeting?"

Suddenly, Pepper was the quiet one as she racked her brain trying to figure out if she had forgotten something on his schedule. Surely it wasn't something preplanned; they couldn't expect him to be keeping on track with things after saving a city a few days before.

As they neared the mansion, her heart sunk as a familiar bass beat rattled the pavement in front of the glass doors. Immediately, she recognized the colored lights flashing from the inside, and her heart dropped as a few obviously drunken people stumbled outside and into the driveway; he had thrown his party anyway.

Frustrated, Pepper let out a big sigh and relieved herself of the backseat of the car.

"Looks like it's gonna be another late night, Hap," she told the driver calmly. "Don't wait for me."

"I'll drop by in an hour or two?" he asked, predicting Pepper would be too upset to stay in the house overnight, regardless of what her current relationship with Tony was.

Giving him a thankful smile, Pepper straightened her skirt and made for the front door, frowning as a girl threw up in the corner of the patio.

"Tony?" she called when she opened the door.

Her voice was flooded out by both the sound of music coming from a DJ booth somewhere in the corner and the voices of upwards a few hundred people chatting; it would be no use to try to locate him by name. She looked around the room for him as she pushed through the dancing people, eventually setting her stuff on the kitchen counter

As she turned around, she jumped when she was greeted by a guy attempting to hand her a drink.

"No, thank you," she shook her head and shoved past him.

Pepper's eyes caught a couple near the staircase almost knock over a vase Tony had her bid on in France a few years back, making her cringe. Slowly, she adverted her gaze, scanning the back of the room. Jarvis wouldn't be able to hear her either, so there was no point in asking him for Tony's location. Instead, she gazed outside, realizing there was a good chance he could've pulled a ridiculous stunt like land himself in the pool with a drink in each hand.

Then, she sighed in relief as she found him, inside, planted on the living room sofa with a girl on each side, and, as she pictured, a drink in his hand. One of them, she noted, was the reporter from earlier. Furious, she stomped over to him, throwing her arms out with the universal symbol of what the hell?

"Are you kidding me?!" Pepper yelled over the music.

Stark grinned and removed his eyes from the girl to his right carefully to look at his assistant instead.

"Welcome home, honey," he celebrated.

Pepper watched with slight triumph as the two girls looked at each other and removed themselves from his side once he used the pet name.

"You said she's just your assistant," the reporter pouted, slurring her words.

They were obviously drunk; Stark included.

"She-" Tony began, even though Pepper's glare was enough to shoo them away anyhow. "Come on, I'm Iron Man! She's just..."

"Just what, Tony?" Pepper crossed her arms.

As he watched the two women leave, he slumped down into the sofa, the glow from the new arc reactor radiating under his thing, black shirt; even at parties, he made a point to wear a suit jacket, some kind of glasses, and his favorite jeans as an attempt to look classy.

"Pepper Potts, everyone..." he muttered, raising a glass to sarcastically toast her to himself.

Surprisingly, she expected a much worse reaction from him, but judging by the amount of alcohol he seemed to have ingested and how drunk the rest of the room was, she guessed the party was nearing its end soon...at least for Tony.

"Thank you," she retorted after his toast and took a deep, frustrated breath to stabilize herself. "I said no party, Tony."

"That's funny," he snapped. "Last time I checked, this was still my house."

"I really thought you'd grown up a little."

"Whose signature is on the deed?"

"And then I come back to this..this..." she waved her hands excessively. "Whatever this is."

"I think I'm allowed to throw a party in my own house."

Sighing, she gave up.

"At least you aren't in the suit again, but...this is exactly why I didn't put in the papers to reinstate you as co-CEO," she informed him calmly.

Tony raised an eyebrow behind the rose-colored glasses and held a straight face while his assistant finished.

For a moment, Pepper thought she'd gotten through to him, but that moment closed when another blonde snaked her way in between them and into the crevasse of Tony's arm, which was draped across the back of the couch. Though he looked at the red head with the same hard stare, he didn't pay the girl next to him attention.

"I just can't-" Pepper complained as she got shoved over by two people dancing behind her, "-I can't deal with this anymore."

She knew there was no arguing with Tony, so instead, she decided to go outside to get some air; she had an hour or two to kill until Happy would be back to drive her home, anyway. People were jumping from his patio into the pool, sending water all over the back landing. Bottles floated in the water and a shirt or two was even thrown on the lounge chairs on the balcony. She rested her head in her hands on the railing and gazed out over the ocean.

This was the Tony she had started working for; the one that existed before Iron Man and before the arc reactor. She felt guilty, but this was exactly why she didn't want the public getting word that they may be a...couple? His wild antics would only tear her down professionally.

The sound of glass ricocheting off of the metal banister in front of her shook her from her thoughts as the very essence of them approached.

"Oops.." Tony muttered, trying to steady his drink in one hand and holding out another to Pepper. "I owe you a martini."

"You owe me three," she told him, but accepted it. "But it's a start."

"And I thought you were the responsible one."

Stark watched her, his glasses now removed, as she studied the floor instead of him and kicked at some dust with her pointed shoe.

"I am the responsible one," Pepper managed after a moment.

He sensed she was doing her best to keep her composure when she had every right to lash out at him, so he didn't press any further.

"I'm sort of an Avenger now," Tony changed the subject.

Pepper finally analyzed him. His eyes were glossy but he wasn't as happy as usual; he held his liquor well, but she could tell when he was drunk, despite which mood he chose to be in. In this case, he was serious.

"Is that what you were doing today?" Pepper confronted, concern clear on her voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They didn't want me. Well, they do. But they don't."

"You're not making any sense."

"It's complicated."

A strawberry blond eyebrow rose in response. "Isn't everything with you?"

Tony smirked, finally hinting a sense of humor on him. "What fun would it be if it wasn't?"

"Well, I'd have my sanity back..."

Pepper blinked to clear her head, then swallowed another sip of her drink as he took a step towards her and attempted to set his glass down on the railing. It slipped and wound up toppling over the edge and into the water below them, luckily missing the swimmers. Stark watched it drop, giving an impressed look as it plunged into the pool.

"I think you're done drinking for a little while," Pepper quickly decided.

"Come on," Tony begged, taking her free hand in his. "Party's just getting started! Loosen up a little, Pep."

"You're plenty loose enough for the both of us," she observed, an amused smile sneaking onto her lips.

Tony didn't miss it, and knew it was a window of opportunity. Despite how many times she had told him they weren't going to amount to anything earlier in the day, he had made big steps in attempting to be loyal to Pepper. He hadn't touched the girls on the sofa, he had just looked...or, the alcohol had just looked. And hell, the party itself was only to drown out his feelings for a little while; he had been stomped on by both Pepper and Fury already today and had had enough. So much for valuing Iron Man for saving Manhattan...

"You love it," he grinned.

She pulled her hand from his. "I prefer it if you're-"

"And you love me."

"-sober, Mr. Stark."

"I love you," Tony told her, trying his best to be sincere even though the house was spinning.

"You're drunk," Pepper countered.

"I'm serious."

"You're...delusional," she settled on.

Tony leaned in, just as he had at his birthday party, in an attempt to be seductive.

"What do I need to do?" he asked, mentally meaning it, even though it came out in a slur.

Pepper turned her head away from him and tried to add more distance between them. She had already admitted she liked Tony, but not this version of Tony.

"End the party, Tony," Pepper decided; it was the best bet at getting him to call it a night.

"And then you'll admit you love me?" He grinned. "I've told you twice now."

"And you were drunk then, too," Pepper muttered, pushing away from her boss. "And dying. Look, I'm not mad, okay? Just send them home. I'll help you clean up."

It was like dealing with a child.

Tony frowned, realizing she wouldn't be happy until he ended the party. He had thrown it as an escape, as a way to hide from his feelings, but, of course it didn't impress Pepper; he should've known.

Stark sunk his head low and finally agreed, clearly trying to look upset. As he stalked away to head back in to tell the DJ to go home, Pepper watched him. He was like a child being scolded instead of the defiant playboy she had seen when she walked in. Yes, he was an idiot for throwing another party, and he was an idiot for hanging around a bunch of girls that clearly just wanted into his bed, but he was making progress; the old Tony would never have taken her advice seriously.

Pepper was startled out of her thoughts as a blue skirt fell from the upstairs balcony onto the floor in front of her. She jumped and scowled at it, then glared upwards, trying not to picture what was going on in the guest bedroom.

Yup, definitely another late night... she thought as she rubbed her temple with her two forefingers.

 

 

"No," an annoyed Pepper Potts growled into a phone, which she held between her cheek and her shoulder as she carefully picked up the few remaining pieces of trash and stuffed them into a full garbage bag. "I can assure you at this time, Stark Industries...Mr Stark or myself...has no further comment on the Expo."

Pepper didn't bother thanking them before ending the call; instead, she closed the flip phone before tossing it onto the sofa behind her. Looking around, she was quite pleased with herself. Dum-E had helped her, too, and was still acting as a temporary Roomba in the corner with the broken vase. It would have to do; it was just before midnight and she expected Happy back any minute.

"Tony?" she called, aware he had ditched her about a half hour ago. "Tony, I'm going home."

Silence.

"Jarvis, can you locate Mr Stark for me?" she asked the AI politely.

"He was last in the upstairs...lavatory, Miss Potts," Jarvis commented uneasily.

Pepper sighed and made her way up to his bedroom – not the one the guests had used, but his actual room, tucked away in the back. There, she found him hunched over the toilet, the cool marble floor engulfing his buckled legs.

"Tony," she greeted softly, more as a friend than an upset employee this time. "Most of the mess is cleaned up, and the bots are finishing up in the living room."

She folded her arms and leaned against the door frame, watching as he coughed again into the bowl. Her nose scrunched up as she grimaced.

"I doubt you're in good enough condition to respond to any of these RSVPs, so..." she trailed off.

She'd seen Stark like this before, but this was the first time he looked...defeated. Sighing, she walked in and attempted to help him up. He smirked as she held him with one arm around his torso and the other on his chest, but it didn't phase her.

"Come on, let's go," Pepper muttered. "You really need to start taking care of yourself."

She began to drag Tony back to his bed. She tossed him in, not so delicately, and hoped he'd situate himself further.

"That's okay, I like it rough," he teased as his back hit the mattress.

Potts rolled her eyes internally and instructed Jarvis to dim the lights.

"Stay," he insisted when she tugged at his suit jacket to ready it for a dry cleaner run in the morning.

"I'll be back in the morning, Tony."

He grunted, but accepted it as sleep called. "Is that all, Miss Potts?"

"That'll be all for tonight, Mr Stark," she confirmed.

A slight smile tugging at her lips as she realized how many times that conversation had been mirrored between them in the past; maybe she could make this whole CEO thing work. Tony was just the face and the name of the company, but she had the mentality for it. If anyone had asked her if she thought she'd be heading Stark Industries when she had taken the internship there years ago, she never would have dreamt it, but now...maybe it was her calling.

As she progressed towards the kitchen to collect her things and wait outside for Happy, she pulled the rose glasses from the inside pocket of Tony's jacket. She folded it nicely to place on her pile, but was distracted by a small piece of paper, folded in half, that fell to the ground from one of the outside pockets.

Pepper bent down and inspected it closely. She was still somewhat Tony's assistant, not to mention CEO, so it wasn't exactly invading his privacy to read it; most importantly, she wanted to make sure it wasn't anything she needed to add to the calendar.

DO NOT forget: it read. Pepper is allergic to strawberries.

The red head stared at the note for a second before breaking out into a small fit of laughter, realizing how ridiculous the reminder seemed. She folded the note back up and left it on the counter, knowing Tony had written it because he needed it, and for a few minutes, her heart told her she could trust him with it...but could the rest of the world?

 

 

Music roared from the back speakers, hard rock, echoing around the workshop. Tony flexed a muscle in his arm as he attached a few black objects to his skin with super glue: magnets. One by one he attached them to various parts of the limb and waited for them to dry. Then, he held his arm over the armpiece of the Mark VIII suit – Mark VII was designed with a new security system, but Mark VIII would hold that, plus test a new system to have the suit auto attach to Tony. It would spare him the time of letting the suitcase adjust to his body if there was ever a surprised attack again.

"Now..." he murmured, watching intently as the armor vibrated briefly underneath him.

Then, without warning, it stuck, sending him off balance and weighing him down onto the table for a split second.

"No, no..." he huffed negatively.

Stark recovered easily and lifted his arm back up as the Mark VIII gear unfolded and twisted around his forearm, creating the gauntlet that surrounded his arm. He grinned in triumph and peeled the material off just as quick and set it back down on the table.

"Okay, Jarvis..." he decided. "Start the reel?"

"Of course, sir," the AI responded.

The system began recording, with the help of Dum-E to stabilize the camera, as Tony repeated his steps and anchored the piece of the suit back onto the skin.

"Ah!" he grunted as it snapped around him.

There were still some flaws to work through, but all in all, it was progress. As he began removing it again, he began picking at the magnets, realizing it probably wasn't the best idea to use super glue as an adhesive.

"Hey," he summoned Dum-E. "Carefully," he emphasized, "help me remove these."

Dum-E inspected them, glanced at Tony, and then focused back on the magnets. As he began attaching a metal claw to one of them in preparation to pull it from Tony's skin, Stark heard a familiar sound of heels coming down the stairs to attack him.

He looked up as Pepper punched in hey key code, binder and blackberry under one arm, and approached the desk.

"Mr Stark," she greeted, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"Miss Potts," he smirked. "Here to crash my party aga-OW!" 

Tony winced as his bot tore off one magnet, leaving his skin red and breaking as a rectangle figure quickly appeared on him as a leftover mark.

"Whatch it!" he demanded. "I said remove the magnet, not my arm."

"Mr Stark," Pepper cut in, dropping some papers in front of him. "The art gala at the museum is next week and-"

"Do you want to go?" he asked, ignoring he papers and her eyes.

Pepper blinked. "Well, yes, but the invitation is for you-"

"It's for the CEO."

"It's your company."

"But you run it now."

Tony stood up after Dum-E finished peeling the magnets off, this time a little more gently, and walked around the desk, rubbing his arm. He flashed a smile at Pepper and finally held her gaze.

Pepper continued a little more slowly, trying to sort through what she needed in her brain. Truthfully, all she could think of was the note she found the night before.

"The benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund-"

"Isn't it a little early for that?"

"-is coming up and-"

"I remember it being later in the year last time."

"-the board would like to know if you're attending," Pepper rushed to finish, annoyed. "Tony, will you let me finish? I'm just trying to do my job here, and-"

Tony smirked again in amusement and decided to be kinder. "Pepper," he stopped her, grabbing her shoulders. "You are the CEO. You take care of the company now, not me."

"I'm still your assistant, Mr Stark, and-"

"I'm a big boy." He let her go and made his way back around the desk to close out the project files for the new suit. "Go to the benefit," he encouraged her. "You're CEO, you can stop managing me now. I'll figure it out."

"Mr Stark, you can't even make your coffee by yourself," Pepper teased, handing him his usual shot of espresso she had also brought down.

"I'll learn."

He accepted it, downed it, then set it back down in her hand. Pepper frowned, hoping for a little more respect, but at least his words showed that, if his actions didn't.

"I'm still coming by in the mornings before I go to the office..."

"Really don't have to."

Pepper ignored him. "I have a contractor coming in this afternoon," she mentioned as Tony closed the remaining screens that were currently on hologram display. "They'll fix the windows, but-"

"Perfect," Stark hummed, turning his attention back to the girl.

She squinted, trying to make sense of his return. "You'll need to allow them access to the house."

"I'll reprogram Jarvis," he agreed. "But I'll handle down here."

"Tony, this is a low bearing pillar."

Pepper pointed to the one he had knocked out of place when he and Rhodey had accidentally crashed up and down during their fight; though there was no damage, it had taken quite the impact upstairs.

"Relax. What could go wrong?"

Pepper stared at him for a moment, mentally comparing the two different sides of him she had seen in the last twelve hours. When he wasn't a hot mess, he actually had a decent sense of composure and acted like a mature adult...to some extent. Then, she snapped out of her trance and followed him as he made his way towards the dressing station for a test run of the suit.

"Can we talk about last night?" Pepper questioned quietly.

He stopped and fumbled with his arm rashes again in an attempt to mask his discomfort.

"You can't keep throwing parties, Tony," she scolded, but with a kind tone.

He glanced towards the suit, now upright and ready to assemble over his body. "I added some more power to the jets," he commented, ignoring Pepper.

She frowned. "I can't keep doing damage control."

"Think I can make it to Vegas faster now?"

Okay, Pepper thought blankly. That's the exact opposite of what I'm trying to steer you towards. Instead, she went with, "I told you you're all I have, but...this isn't you."

"This has always been me," Stark snapped, turning back towards her. "You know that better than anyone."

"Not since Afghanistan!" she argued. "You're just...you've been so different since..." She trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words. "you've had-"

"What? A heart?" Tony's face was straight as he tapped the arc reactor in his chest through his shirt. "Pepper, I don't know what you want me to tell you."

His voice was starting to raise slightly, making her press her lips together firmly to keep from snapping back as he carried on.

"First you want CEO, then you don't. Then you want me, and surprise, then you don't."

"I've never not wanted...you're not just my boss, Tony!"

"Yeah? Then stop calling me Mr Stark."

Pepper detected a brief moment of humor in his tone. "Okay..." she agreed in a whisper, rolling her eyes internally.

"This is my life, Pep," he groaned. "You expect anyone to believe I can settle down?"

"Well, no one's asking you to settle down, they-" she began, staring at the floor again.

"Trust me, if I could, I would have you in a heartbeat."

She winced. "Well I'm glad your ego hasn't changed," she countered, offended.

He sighed, trying to wrack his brain for what to say. This was exactly why he never had a lasting relationship. Tony Stark just wasn't built for them.

"You know what I meant. You've been here for so long, Pepper. Everyone else, the leave. You put up with my bullshit."

"Well, I mean, do you really think any other assistant would want to deal with constant weapons experiments and kidnappings of their boss?" she teased, glancing around the workshop.

Tony ignored her, clearly on a path to something. "But I just...I don't know how to do this, Pep. I'm not built for this. I'm not-"

"You're not one of your machines, Tony," Pepper told him softly, taking a step towards him and placing her hand on the arc reactor gently.

He looked away. "I do enough work on myself to know that you're wrong," he argued.

"If you would just stop throwing parties, and stop getting drunk, and sleeping around with girls, and-"

Snapping his attention back to the red head, he let his frustrations out. That was enough; she didn't realize it, but from time to time, he did hurt. Just like she insisted, he did have a heart...and feelings...and a temper.

"Your reputation would be ruined, Pepper," he told her blatantly.

"That's not true."

Tony shook his head. "Yesterday, you insisted you wanted nothing to do with me. Now you do want a relationship with me?"

"I don't know if relationship is-"

"I don't do relationships."

"Would it kill you to try?!" she yelled, suddenly overwhelmed by his continuous change in attitude.

As soon as she blurted it out, she hushed herself and pressed her lips shut. Her cheeks flushed a bright red as she realized what she didn't want to; whether she liked it or not, and whether he showed it or not, Tony was a new person, and a person that she liked. Their few shared kisses weren't just a fluke. But, he had been right; she told him no – she pushed him away, and now this was where they'd sit.

"This..." he exhaled. "Yeah, not doing this."

"Tony," Pepper begged.

"Jarvis, bring up ATC. And do a scan for weather systems," he instructed, turning back towards the suit.

Pepper watched as he stepped onto the platform and let the bots suit him up in one of his newest projects.

"Tony, do not ignored me-" she continued.

Bbefore she could say anything else, the face plate closed over his head and he powered his jets and shot himself up into the sky, leaving Pepper in a scattered mess of papers and a shattered espresso cup. She covered her ears as he took off to temporarily mask the noise, but it didn't fix her outrage.

"Tony!" she screamed into the dead air, watching his jet stream fade away.

 

 

"I want all access restricted. No one in, no one out. Except me. Then ignore...pretty much all of that," Tony told a group of three or four executives as the followed him down the hall and past a wall of mailboxes. "This is gonna be big, trust me. By this time next year, the whole tower will be operating off of this core."

A red headed girl froze as she worked open one of the mailboxes to file some papers from her department. The girl glanced in the group's direction, making note that it actually was the Tony Stark. She couldn't help but look him over...what employee didn't want to catch a sight of him? He was a rumor to most of Stark Industries.

"If this goes well, we can have the city running off of us in no time," he continued, catching the girl's attention.

She closed the mailbox and locked it again, then readjusted the files in her arms. She tried her best to hide the red creeping into her cheeks as she realized she was, in fact, staring at him.

"Can I help you?" Tony asked, obviously annoyed by catching her eyes on him while he signed a document one of the girls held out.

"Just...filing some things..." she managed.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was petite, with a nice frame, and had her hair held up in a bun at the base of her neck. Rectangular frames settled across her nose and freckles painted her cheeks. She was...well, she was beautiful, and she would be his.

The girl turned away from him again.

"Who are you?" Tony asked, studying her.

"Virginia Potts," she managed to stammer out after processing his question. "Finance intern. Third floor."

He lowered his tinted glasses to give her a better look over before fixing his jacket and returning to his group. He sensed her underlying confidence, but decided not to act on it...he could be nice for one day.

However, before he could leave, the girl realized what she had overheard and decided to act on a whim for once. It was only a rumor, but she had heard enough whispers about the arc technology he was working on to understand it. After a small internal pep talk, she managed to confront Stark.

"You'll lose millions," she told him quietly, still staring at the files in her arms.

Tony paused and turned back towards her, sensing her underlying confidence. A moment passed, and then he removed his glasses completely to give her better focus as an attempt to intimidate her. It always worked in his favor.

"Right. Didn't you say you were an...intern?"

The girl finally looked towards him and without missing a beat, replied with, "you'll lose investors. Stocks will drop half by the end of the week."

He held her gaze, then sniffled a little and raised both eyebrows as acknowledgment that he had heard her.

"The arc will be able to generate sustainable energy for lifetimes," he informed her.

"People don't want sustainability," she countered. "Your investors want weapons. They don't care about powering electricity, or...testing new elements."

Tony thought for a brief second. She was right; the military wanted him for weapons - for ways to take out the enemy. Introducing the arc reactor to the rest of the world wasn't something they would be ready for. It could help them, but it could also release the new intel to the rest of the world, which no one would be prepared for.

"Are you always full of this much...pep?" Stark mused.

"Only when my boss is about to lose the company I work for a large sum of money," Virginia answered swiftly.

Something in his eye twinkled as he took her response. She was feisty for such a small girl.

"I bet you lose more than that if you give me five minutes alone with you."

Blushing, Virginia was both appalled and impressed; so he really was like that with everyone he talked to. She watched as he smirked, assuming he won, but he hadn't.

Only five minutes, she thought to herself. "I guess your reputation doesn't exactly preceed you, then, does it?"

She could've swore she had lost her job after that remark, but eventually, he turned his smirk into a grin.

"You'll have to take the bet and find out," he played back.

He definitely didn't give up easily, but neither did she.

"I won't get into bed with you that easily, Mr Stark," the girl commented, being more precise this time.

He held his grin and watched her as she struggled to uphold herself. She was definitely something else; and the first to turn him down. Normally, the interns were the easiest to please. He pointed to her with his glasses before returning them to his face.

"I like you, miss..."

"Potts," she reminded him. "Virginia Potts."

"Right."

He focused on her for just a little while longer with the same grin plastered on his face before turning back towards his crew. Under his breath, he signaled to them to take into consideration what she had just brought to his attention. She had made a good call.

"Why don't we...keep this under wraps for now," he decided.

He didn't look back, but he didn't have to to predict the proud smile that formed at her lips after he had continued on his way, making her eyes sparkle under her bold glasses. She looked good in glasses.

"Sir, incoming call from miss Potts," Jarvis' voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Tony's brief memory of when he and Pepper first met. "Shall I connect you?"

A small image of Pepper popped up in the bottom right of the helmet's projected screen. Hesitantly, Tony's small, genuine smile vanished as he turned the call down. He would talk with her when he wasn't flying solo. She deserved better, and he couldn't come to terms with handling her call until he figured out just what 'better' was.

"Do me a favor though," Stark instructed. "Get me Rhodey instead."

"Of course, sir," Jarvis responded.

The display of Pepper changed to a photo of his friend instead, matching the voice that picked up.

"Rhodey," Tony greeted. "Change of plans. I'm comin' in today."

"Good, because they're presenting us today," the colonel replied almost sarcastically.

"Oh," he replied innocently. "Is it Friday already?"

"Is Pepper letting you keep the calendar again? Because we know how that worked out last time-"

"Pepper's...at home," Stark deflected.

He read Rhodey's pause and silently rolled his eyes. He knew his friend would judge him if things weren't always perfect with his former assistant.

Thankfully, all he asked was, "where are you?"

"Uh," Tony grunted, attempting to read the map Jarvis pulled up. "Somewhere between Oklahoma and Tennessee."

"...are you in the suit?" Rhodey asked, confused.

"Somethin like that."

"Why?"

Tony took a breath. "They're honoring it, aren't they?"

He could tell it was his friend's turn to roll his eyes and accepted it. They put up with each other, so he could judge all he wanted.

"Just get your ass here," he finally responded.

"See ya soon," Stark agreed before powering his jets to full and speeding up his momentum as he continued into the eastern states.


	4. Pep and Flare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or any part of the Marvel/Iron Man universe...though I do wish I lived in it.   Excuse me if I miss a few details...this is my attempt to get back into writing after about a year break.  Please read and review!!

Colonel Rhodes took a breath as he faced a pillar and straightened his neck tie. The inside of the building they were to gather in was lined with marble and soft lighting glowed in the reflections, giving him an eerie sense of warmth. For once, someone was recognizing his commitment to helping Tony bring the arc energy to the military...even if it was at the expense of Manhattan.

Tony, he remembered briefly, wondering how much longer his friend would delay showing up.

Then, even with Stark on his mind, Rhodey almost fell backwards with shock as a loud noise of metal on solid, marble floors boomed behind him. He doubled back and spun around, trying to stop his heart from flying out of his chest.

"Gee, you'd think they'd train you for surprise," a humorous tone floated from the robot that appeared behind him.

Rhodey stared at the red and gold giant as the face plate lifted and revealed a very tired looking, yet still grinning, Tony Stark. Instantly calming himself down, he let his shoulders relax as his friend departed the suit.

"I'm an airman, Tony, not a ninja," he clarified. "And you're late."

"Not late. Just not early."

Rhodes looked him over; Stark was only in a pair of dark wash jeans and a tshirt - definitely not ceremony appropriate.

"That's what you're wearing?"

Stark snorted, then ran a hand through his hair. "Relax, mom. I got it covered."

"You better. No Pepper?"

"I left the missus at home," Tony joked, trying to not think about his assistant for a little while.

Rhodey looked like a ghost had caught him. "You guys...uh, please tell me you didn't-"

"What?" Stark asked, then let out a hearty laugh at what his friend was suggesting and took it a step further. "Yeah, she's decorating the nursery."

"That's not funny," Rhodey snapped, unable to believe him.

"But marriage is?"

"That's something you could handle, Tony. Now, a mini Stark..." Rhodes shuddered.

Tony frowned, but he knew his friend was right; he was thankful he didn't have to go any further with it, as Rhodes obviously doubted him as much as Jarvis did. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw one of his New York security details approaching. She was holding out a jacket for him to slip into.

Rhodey watched her suit him up - literally - and then disappear out to where the public would be viewing the ceremony.

"Who was that?" he asked, admiring her looks.

"Who?" Stark countered purposely. "Oh, her?" He was trying to play dumb. "Dunno. Found her at the tower one day. Fun to look at. Let her play good cop for the Expo."

"You just gave some random girl the job of keeping you secure?"

"Yup."

"You're ridiculous."

"Man," he bit back. "Have you and Pepper been talking?"

Tony was making it apparent that he was getting a bit edgy with the judgement coming from Rhodey, so he decided to move on and slapped him on the shoulder instead.

"Nevermind it." Rhodes pointed outside. "They're waiting for us."

"They're waiting for me," he corrected. "You're just...an added bonus!"

With a sly smirk, Tony adjusted his cufflinks and walked with his friend toward the outside stairs.

 

 

_Tony Stark adjusted his suit in the elevator down to the third floor - he wouldn't usually step foot on any of these levels, but, today, he had an agenda. The past few days had had him busy with the arc reactor; its progress was good and the station seemed solid, but he couldn't shake the words the stubborn woman had thrown at him at the beginning of the week. Who did she think she was, anyway? Certainly not a genius like himself, but he would let her prove that._

__

As the elevator doors opened, he sensed the employees close to the shaft were too focused on their computer screens and phone calls to realize who it was gracing their presence. It almost annoyed him that no one was paying attention, despite the fact that they seemed to be good workers to stay so focused - he was the face of the company; literally, his face was on the building's walls.

Finally, when he stepped out and began his lone trek towards a cubicle in the opposite corner of the floor, a few hears turned. The sound of nice shoes clicking on the shiny floors must have alerted them, but he didn't mind. Under his dark shades, he shot wide, judgemental eyes at each and every one he caught staring at him as he passed.

"Is that...?" a few voices whispered, trying not to be heard, but failing.

"Tony Stark?"

"Why would he be here?"

"I bet someone's getting fired."

They continued on as he went until the room quieted more than usual. Then, he spotted her: red hair up just as it had been the first time they met. She was sitting upright and proper, her feet together under her chair, as she analyzed a pile of documents on her desk. She wore a matching skirt and blazer over a plain, white blouse; she seemed confident. He narrowed his eyes; maybe this was a good move, after all.

He cleared his throat from behind her. "Miss...Potts, was it?"

Virginia tensed before turning slowly to look behind her, recognizing the voice.

Stark saw the nervousness in her eyes as their gazes met and his lip tugged up in a partial smile.

"...y..yes," Virginia managed, trying to mentally tell herself she would be okay.

"Right. Hi," he greeted. Should he say something else? He wasn't used to talking this way to the women in his life.

"Mr Stark," she confirmed, obviously confused as to why he was there.

"Yup. That's me."

Virginia stood to welcome him and took a deep breath. This was it. This was the first time she'd ever actually get fired from a job. 

Stark sniffed and cleared his senses, then lifted his shoulders and pointed to her cube.

"You wanna, uh, gather your things?"

Virginia's mouth fell slightly open as she looked from him to her desk, then back again. He really was telling her to leave. Of course, the gossiping whispers around them didn't help her hide the blush that was taking over her face. She didn't like to be the spotlight of attention when she couldn't control the outcome.

"Am I being fired...?" she whispered with very present fear to her tone.

With a small chuckle, Stark shook his head. "Think of it as...a small promotion."

"A promotion?" she coughed out, not sure she had heard him right.

"Yeah. Listen," he began with a roll of his eyes. "Let's just, let's wrap this up here?"

Stark twirled his finger in the air to get her moving. She struggled to gain composure as she shoved a couple photo frames and a plant in a box she had under her desk - they were all she had brought in.

"Good?" Tony asked her, still watching her from behind his charcoal glasses.

Virginia nodded, watching him intently. This was definitely not how she wanted things to go with her internship at Stark Industries, but if he was being serious, maybe she really would fit in. Was her boss actually recommending her a better job?

She inhaled sharply as Tony lead her away from the cube and back toward the elevator. The eyes of her co workers burned into her soul as they passed, but nothing felt warmer than the spot where his hand rested in the small of her back. Though he was her boss, she knew what the girls had to say about him, and hell, he wasn't that much older than her. Who knew what he wanted?

Once they boarded the elevator and the doors closed again, Virginia jumped on her opportunity to apologize in case that helped matters.

"Mr Stark, if this is about the other day-"

"It's not," he lied. It was.

Her hands tightened on the box as she thought of the worse case scenario. Yes, he was easy on the eyes, but his personality was definitely not her taste.

"I already told you, I don't intend to sleep with you, so if-"

Tony smirked. "Trust me, if that's what this was, you'd already be under me," he taunted. "But the offer is still there."

Virginia felt hot as she accepted the response with silence and an awkward quietness settled down around them. There was basically nothing left to say; she had made herself clear.

Once they reached the main level, the fear settled in again as the people in the lobby glanced their way, doing anything to get a glimpse of the Tony Stark. Then, as they approached the glass doors that led outside, she began to get a sense of dizziness like she had never felt.

Outside, they were blinded by camera flashes and a crowd screaming Tony's name. Granted, he held an arm out protectively to hold Virginia behind him, but it was still unwanted attention for her. She kept her head low and tried to follow as closely as possible without spilling her box or tumbling in her heels.

"Mr Stark!"

"Mr Stark, can you comment on recent reports of Stark Industries moving to New York?"

Their calls rang in Virginia's ears; did he just say New York? Was he moving her to a different state?

Eventually, Tony was able to guide them through the pack and was ushered by a security member she hadn't seen before into a fancy looking town car. She boarded first, keeping in mind not to give him a good look at her backside as she crawled across the seat, but she could still hear them harassing her boss outside.

"Mr Stark!"

The red head looked over the open door and saw his driver prying a woman's hand off of Tony's arm.

"Ma'am," the driver spoke. "I'm gonna have to ask you to back up."

"Mr Stark, I promise I'll be worth your time if you just-"

She watched as Tony turned back toward the woman and settled his driver down.

"I like the kink, I do," he grinned behind his glasses. "But I'm not sure miss Potts here is up for an addition."

Did he just hint to the press that...?

"This is a business pitch, Mr Stark," the woman spoke as the cameras from the rest of the press continued to flash. "What if you could duplicate any-"

Tony stopped her, turning back to the car. "Heard it."

"I-I didn't even finish my-" 

Tony didn't bother to listen; it was obvious people threw ideas in his face on a daily basis. He finally joined Virginia, shutting the door in the paparazzi's faces.  
"Thanks, Happy," Tony breathed as his driver climbed into the front seat. He motioned towards Virginia. "Seat belts?"

"You're not wearing one."

He smirked again. There it was, that pep and kick she gave him before.

"I like you."

Her heart fluttered, thinking of the possibilities she'd have with a good word from Tony Stark, but all she could come up with was, "so I've heard".

After the car had been silently on its way for several minutes, Tony offered her his smile and his attention.

"You know, miss Potts," he sang. "One might think you really have a problem with me."

She blushed again; she was doing a lot of that lately. Was she being too hard on him? No, she was just trying to protect herself and her professionalism.

"Not at all, Mr Stark" she replied evenly.

She looked out the window momentarily, noting they were no longer within the city.

"Mr Stark, I would hope I'm not being kidnapped..."

There it was; his grin again. Could this man be serious about anything?

"You don't trust me at all," Stark observed. "I'm not kidnapping you, miss-"

"Virginia," the girl decided. She hated the formality of last names.

Tony's face scrunched up. "We need to get you a new name."

"What's wrong with my name?"

"It's too...old fashioned," he decided. "How about...Ginger? Or something to go with all that pep and flare."

She patted her red hair down as though trying to hide it; it wasn't that bright, was it?

"Virginia will do, Mr-" she whispered in embarrassment, but he continued anyway.

"Pepper," he finally landed on, his face lighting up once he settled on the name. "Pepper Potts. I like it."

She frowned. There was no way to get out of this one, was there? Once he made a decision, he seemed to stick with it, from what she had witnessed over the past few days.

"Mr Stark, I don't think it's necessary to-"

He removed his glasses and interrupted her again. "Pepper."

She sighed, defeated. "Yes, Mr Stark?"

"I'm in the market for someone to work directly under me."

"Mr Stark," she gasped. "That is highly unprofessional, and-"

Pepper, as she now accepted to go by, was quieted by a genuine laugh erupting from the man next to her.

"It's figurative, sweetheart," he embellished. "I need someone to keep things in line. Let's face it, I'm not that person."

Pepper snorted in agreement, but he went on.

"But you... How did you know about the arc technology, anyway?"

She glanced up at her boss with scared eyes. In all honesty, she had heard it from word of mouth, but once she did the math, it was easy to follow his plans.

"Rumor," she admitted.

Tony inhaled sharply and resituated himself in his seat, looking uncomfortable. If she knew, who else knew? Then, he caught sight of the familiar road leading towards the coast and cleared his throat again as the car pulled up to a very large and a very distinguished home; Stark mansion.

Pepper gazed in awe at the home, her mouth agape. Once she realized she looked like a fangirl, she shut it abruptly and focused back on Stark.

"Follow me," he ordered.

For a moment, Pepper pondered what to do with her box of things; if she held onto it, she would make it harder for him to attempt to seduce her...not that she was planning on that happening. But, at the same time, if she left it, she would have an escape route anyway.

"Just uh..." Tony thought out loud. "Hap, you hanging around for a bit?"

A slight nod of acknowledgment was all the driver gave behind his pitch black shades as he opened the door for Pepper.

"Yeah, just leave it here," Tony confirmed.

After an internal groan, Pepper decided to humor Stark and left the box in the backseat of the town car before following him out and into the sleek mansion.

As they entered, Pepper took in the decorated, wooden floors...and the odd taste in art on display. Then, she nearly jumped out of her skirt when a male voice echoed around the home.

"Welcome home, Mr Stark," it echoed in a British accent.

"Jarvis," the man spoke out, greeting the invisible welcomer. Then, he turned towards Pepper as he lead them into the kitchen so he could grab a glass of scotch. "That's Jarvis, he helps me run the house."

"Run the...house?" Pepper stammered.

Tony made a mental note at how cute she looked when she was confused; this would be tough to keep his hands off of her.

"Yeah. Testing out a new technology. Has his own personality and everything." He rose his glass in the air. "Jarvis, this is Miss Potts."

"Hello, Miss Potts," Jarvis welcomed.

Pepper nodded nervously, not sure if she was going insane of it the day was actually all just some jumbled up mess of a dream. She rang her hands together to keep herself distracted, anxiously waiting what the point of the house call was.

"Easy, Pepper," Tony seemed to purr as he approached the girl. He propped himself up on the counter. "Let's make this simple," he offered. "I need you."

Pepper's heart beat a million miles an hour as she tried to decipher the fine line between being both disgusted and thrilled. She stared at him, unable to speak, and pressed her brow together trying to understand.

Tony clearly saw her struggle and smirked. "I don't know how you know, but you, Miss Potts, are extremely educated in my project."

Pepper swallowed, feeling sick to her stomach.

"I wouldn't say educa-" she whispered, looking down at her feet again out of habit.

"You know what you're doing. I want you to be my personal assistant."

There. It was on the table. Tony watched her intently, not sure whether she was going to laugh at him, run out, or worse...accept. Yes, he needed someone to keep his head on his shoulders, but the thought still terrified him. He was Tony Stark, and hiring a PA would leave him vulnerable to more than just his AI at home.

"And if I say no?" Pepper finally spoke up, lifting her eyes to meet his as her confidence flowed back in.

That was...until he smiled at her again.

"You won't."

 

 

"Tony," a voice snapped him back to reality. "Tony!" There it was again.

Blinking, Tony turned to his left, where Rhodes stood in perfect form listening to the presentation that was beginning.

"Are you paying any attention at all?" his friend snapped under his breath.

"Yup," Stark lied. "Iron Man saves the world again, yada yada..."

Rhodey rolled his eyes subtly but didn't respond. Instead, he almost got caught laughing at a familiar face walked up the the podium to begin their recognition.

"Stern?" Rhodes whispered. "How'd you manage that?"

Tony shrugged, unable to tell his friend about Fury just yet. "I have my ways."

"It is my honour to be here today to present these distinguished awards to Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes and Mr Tony Stark, who is, of course, a national treasure," the Senator said with a heavy undertone to his voice; he made it clear he was not here by choice.

Tony flashed a closed smile at Rhodey with another sarcastic shrug, soaking in the moment. Outside of his own amusement, he could now trust Fury. Maybe he was fit to be an Avenger.

Stern took a step around them and faced Rhodes, holding up a shiny, metal pin to his breast. "Thank you Lieutenant Colonel, for such and exceptionally distinguished performance. You deserve this."

"Thank you, sir."

Stark rose on his heels briefly as he watched his friend stare straight ahead and give a traditional military response. Then, it was his turn, and he would savor every ounce of pain in Stern's eyes as he pinned that damn medal on his suit jacket.  
"Mr Stark..." The Senator made direct eye contact. "Thank you for such as exceptionally distinguished performance. You deserve this."

With that, Tony winced slightly as he felt the end of the pin prick at his skin underneath. He had missed on purpose.

"Oh, sorry. Funny how annoying a little prick can be, isn't it?"

The Senator smiled a snake's grin at him in triumph, then moved between the two men on the stairs.

"Let's get a photo," he suggested for the press.

But, he hadn't won. Tony lifted his hand in a fist, striking a pose that the Senator would never live down. He was Iron Man, and he had won.

After posing for photos for the press, Tony had made a beeline for the building again, where he had left the suit waiting. He had detailed it back into its case, like the model they had taken to France at the beginning of the Hammer drama; until he figured out the magnets more precisely, that was the easiest way to compact it for when Jarvis wasn't around with the bots to peel it off of him.

He pulled his phone from his inside pocket in the jacket and twisted it open.

Four missed calls, it read.

Tony groaned at the idea of finding an eccentric voicemail from Pepper, or four, but he knew he had to face it eventually. Thankfully, two calls seemed to be from Rhodey, which is didn't remember ignoring in the suit, but he must have. The other two were from Pepper and an unknown number, respectively. Surprisingly, there were no voicemails.

After hesitating for a moment, he hit the call button on the phone next to Pepper's photo; for whatever dumb reason, he had her stuck in his brain, and the memories of how he treated her mixed with everything that had happened between them the past few days was not allowing his brain to rest.

"Tony?" the soft, familiar voice of Pepper Potts answered after a few rings. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

Yup, she was still upset. Or mad. He couldn't tell which.

"Pep," he greeted. "Hey. Listen, I'm-"

"Why didn't you call me?" she asked with the same sorrow she had when she found out Tony had been dying and he hadn't told her.

"Uh," he muttered. "Been kinda busy."

"Are you in trouble again?"

He smiled at her remark; she always jumped to conclusions. She had a right, though; he was always getting himself into trouble, ever since they met. Then, he realized something.

"Why don't you wear your glasses anymore?" he asked her, a strange calmness coming over his body; he just...want to talk.

"What?" Her confusion bled through the phone. "I dunno. I got contacts. I-"

Then, something snapped and he realized how soft he was getting. He could apologize to her without being completely whipped, right? Tony Stark was still Tony Stark.

"I'm in DC," he interrupted.

She paused. "DC? What, why?"

"They wanted to honor us for saving the world again, I guess." As though he could hear Pepper rolling her eyes at him, he decided to continue on with less of an ego. "I'm okay. I'm with Rhodey."

Another brief quietness, then, "are you coming home?"

Stark glanced around. It was a loaded question. He tried to think hard and quick about his answer, but got caught up in the craziness that was approaching him. Rhodey stumbled in with a couple reporters under his wings, and grinned at him.

Tony motioned toward the phone against his ear. "I'm kinda in the middle of something here," he told his friend.

"What?" he heard Pepper ask from the other end.

"Not you. Pep, hold on," he requested.

He knew she wouldn't be happy, but impressing her was hard to do lately anyway.

"Come on, Tony," Rhodey laughed while hanging over his women. "They let me on leave early for a few days."

Stark frowned. For the first time, he really didn't have an interest in girls or partying, and Rhodes did. He pulled away as the one reached out a hand to touch his arc reactor, still glowing brightly beneath his clothing.

"Is that Rhodey?" Pepper asked, still hanging on the line.

"Yeah," Tony confirmed. "Listen, I gotta go," he told his assistant. "I'll uh..."

"Wait. Tony!" she begged as he pulled the phone away from his ear. "Are you going to be back for-"

"...be back soon," he managed before finally closing the phone to end the call.

Stark pocketed the phone into his breast pocket once more and looked at his friend. He was still grinning from ear to ear; clearly, having one of the Mark suits on hand was getting to his head...even more so than it had with himself.

"Yeah, I gotta get home," he announced, denying the girls what they seemed to be after.

"Come on, Mr Stark," one plead. "We're only going to the casino."

"It'll be fun," the other piped up.

Tony swallowed, struggling internally. How had they been so professional outside but so...unprofessional now? Were they always like that?

Then, he remembered the blonde from Vanity Fair. Yup, they were.

Rhodey gave him a look that practically begged him to go, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had forced his friend into many, many uncomfortable situations before. This would be the least he could do, after all of that. Plus, if he wanted to turn a new leaf with Pepper, maybe it was time to start being the responsible one.

Sighing, he agreed. "Fine, but only to babysit your ass," he told his friend.


	5. Business Pitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of these characters or any part of the Marvel/Iron Man universe...though I do wish I lived in it.   Excuse me if I miss a few details...this is my attempt to get back into writing after about a year break.  Please read and review!!

A few hours had gone by since Tony's abrupt phone call to Pepper, leaving her confused and even more so annoyed than before. She had taken the rest of morning to calm herself down after his outburst, but the phone call just sent her back into a spiral of emotions. She was certain he had said Rhodey, but had she heard someone else with them?

Not wanting her mind to wander, Pepper wandered her way into Tony's workshop to get some work done before the contractors arrived. Now that he was gone, she would have to have Jarvis allow them access to upstairs while she guarded the basement. The last thing she or Tony wanted was someone to snag another suit as easily as Rhodey had, even if he had added a new security system.

The place was still a mess; tools were lying around on the table he had the armor displayed on and the few magnets he had Dum-E tear off of his arm were still in front of his desktop screens. Sighing, Pepper made her way toward the desk and sat down, setting her books and calendars aside as she focused on the screens.

What are you working on this time, Tony... she thought to herself while using his login to access the system.

Pepper swiped through a few files before finding the last updated one: a Mark IX suit. Had Tony really been that invested in redesigning the suits the past two days?

"Jarvis," she summoned politely, knowing the AI would be there to assist her at any time. 

"Yes, Miss Potts?" the voice replied, echoing throughout the quiet workshop.

She noticed an unmarked file on the recovered list. She selected it, then asked Jarvis to clarify.

"What has Tony been working on?"

Her eyes narrowed as she inspected the file, but she couldn't make out the coding. Even having been around Tony for so long, she still had no where near the intelligence with this stuff that he had. She was good with concepts...business concepts...not formulas.

"Mr Stark has been formulating a new security protocol for the Mark VII and VIII suits, and-"

"What is this file?" she asked, interrupting.

Jarvis hesitated before politely telling her, "I'm afraid that is classified, Miss Potts."

"It's okay, Jarvis, show me," Pepper attempted to authorize, realizing Tony was trying to hide something from her. 

"Mr Stark has specifically requested-" Jarvis began again, only to be cut off once more.

"Mr Stark," Pepper spoke with attitude, "isn't here."

After a brief pause while Dum-E strolled over to the red head and snatched the pieces of magnets she was twirling in her hands, Jarvis allowed her access to the model displays of the file. They shone bright blue as holograms, projecting from the screen itself.

"What is it?" Pepper asked, mesmerized.

The formation in front of her reminded her of the breast plate on Tony's suit; it had arms holes like a shirt, and a small space that looked like the size of the arc reactor. Was it just a new suit? Why not name the file?

"It's a stabilizer run from the arc energy," Jarvis informed her while she spun it around with her hand. "The new element that is keeping Mr Stark alive is infused into the piece itself."

"So it's not run from his reactor?" she questioned.

"Not entirely, no."

Pepper frowned. What was the point, then?

"Mr Stark was testing the ability to stabilize other energy using the reactor," Jarvis finished.

Blinking, Pepper tried to understand. "So it's...to keep someone else alive?"

"Precisely."

She didn't even want to begin to think about what that meant. Did he anticipate something happening, or was this just a stunt to try to prove his suits to be better off for the public and less of a threat? Either way, Pepper felt a small smile of pride come to her lips; for once, this was a project that wasn't solely about Tony himself.

"Miss Potts?" Jarvis called, breaking her thought process. "It seems the contractors have arrived."

"Thanks, Jarvis," Pepper murmured, still lost in thought over the unnamed file.

She shut down the screens and grabbed her belongings again before heading upstairs, making sure to key the lock on the pad before greeting the workers. There was definitely no way she would be letting them into Tony's space; she was already afraid with the suits there, but now, there was something more worth protecting.

 

 

"Mr Stark!"

"Mr Stark, any comment on..."

As the group entered the casino on the main strip, the paparazzi flashed, and Tony had never missed his security unit more. He was beginning to think taking off in the suit was a bad idea, even for him. Thankfully, the Mark unit he had taken had been upgraded to fold up, but he was forced to leave it in the car, unless he wanted to make a scene carrying the familiar red and gold unit into the building. Worst case scenario, he'd run back out to the parking garage and suit up.

For once, Stark didn't enter the building tumbling drunk or wrapped around several women; he followed his buddy and his new female friends while straightening his suit jacket and making himself look presentable. Normally, he'd be more of a free soul, but he had way too much Pepper on his mind after the time he had to reminisce.

"Tony!" Rhodey called as they made their way to the craps tables to start.

"Yeah?" Stark replied, not fully focusing on their whereabouts.

Rhodey slapped his friend on the shoulder, making him blink furiously at him in return.

"This is April and this is..." he paused, forgetting the second girl's name.

"Emily," she informed him, for probably the second or third time.

"Right," Tony muttered, then pulled his friend aside while the girls placed his bet. "Look, you sure this is a good idea?" he interrogated.

Rhodey grinned, beaming back at him. He must've snuck a few drinks after they wrapped up the ceremony, probably the girls' doing; he knew first hand how formal his friend acted, and this was not him.

Tony decided to continue without a response.

"This..." he motioned back to the table. "This isn't your thing. It's my thing. And I got Pepper now."

"Relax," Rhodey answered, putting his arm around Tony's shoulder. "We're just celebrating."

Stark frowned at his friend; when had the roles flipped so drastically?

"Come on, Mr Stark," the brunette, April, begged from his side.

Tony straightened his shoulders, attempting to politely dismiss her hand as she ran it down his chest, briefly bumping over the arc reactor and smiling.

Then, the other girl chimed in, snaking an arm around his waist.

"We won't tell," she whispered into his ear, making his skin rise; she had red hair, just like someone else he knew.

Stark contemplated the risk for a few seconds; on one hand, Pepper had dismissed him. But, on the other, she had practically begged him to attempt a relationship with her. And it was Pepper. He couldn't do...this, whatever this was...to Pepper. She was different; she would always be there, and if he fucked up, she would never let that go.

On any note, Tony knew it was a bad idea and cleared his throat before slipping out of their grip.

"Ladies, Colonel Rhodes..." he bid politely before leaving them to head to the bar.

Something was wrong with him, and he knew it. Tony Stark never threw away a possibility of a happy ending. But, maybe he wasn't that Tony Stark anymore, as much as he wanted to be. Hell, even when he had jokingly told her she completed him before jumping out of that plane before the Expo, he had really meant it. Truthfully, ever since he kissed Pepper, that's all he could think about; that, and the Iron Man suits he still had to finish working on.

He approached the bar and immediately ordered a vodka martini, noting that was exactly what Pepper had ordered at the benefit. How could he remember that but not that she was allergic to strawberries? Sighing, he thanked the bartender as he was handed his drink and brought his phone back out from his pocket.

8:49pm, it read.

He hesitated for a second, then brought up Pepper's number and dialed for a second time that night; it was three hours earlier in California, so she was probably still around and handling the work on the house.

Upon her answer, all he heard was some muffled speaking and some clanking around; she was probably giving directions to the contractors.

"Pepper?" he asked, waiting for her hello.

"Hi, yes..." he heard her say through a muffled speaker. "Mr Stark isn't in right now, but if you could just take a look..."

Tony rolled his eyes with a slight smile as he imagined her guiding them to the aftermath that was the empty windows and broken floors. It wouldn't look pretty, but hey, who could blame him? The suit was heavy, after all. He picked at the stick of olives and waited.

"Pepperrrr..." he sang after a few more moments, trying to get her attention.

Finally, she focused on his call.

"Tony?" she asked, hopeful. "Oh, thank God. Where did you go? What happened?!"

"Are we gonna go through this every time I call?" he asked, a little annoyed with the dramatic questions.

The olives plopped back down into the drink and he took a sip, letting the liquid burn his lips. An audible sigh came in return.

"Tony, come home," she whispered, and he knew she meant it.

"I gotta babysit Mr Hero first," Tony said, glancing over his shoulder to where the girls were with Rhodey...who were now missing.

His brow furrowed in confusion but he let it slide as he turned back to his drink; maybe they changed tables? He wanted to focus on Pepper for right now. Then, he could locate his friend.

"Ugh," Pepper groaned in disgust. "Are you really talking about yourself in the third person now?"

Tony chuckled as he pictured her lip rising in that little way it did when she was bothered by something. He happened to make her upset by a lot, so it was a regular feature on her for him.

Damnit, he scolded himself, why are you so focused on her?

"No," he snapped back. "Rhodey's with some girls and-"

"Rhodey?" Pepper questioned, obviously in disbelief.

"Yeah. Surprised the hell outta me, too."

There was a small pause as he waited for her to clear her head, then, "are you gonna be back in time for-"

"Pepper," he whined. "Is that all you want me for? Business?"

"Well, it is your...our...company, Mr Stark," she teased, knowing what he meant.

"Then I'm on vacation."

And, queue eye roll. He smirked, knowing he didn't have to be with her to read her reactions.

"Vacation...in the city you just destroyed-"

"Saved," he corrected, plopping the glass back down. "Come on, admit it."

"Admit what?" Pepper asked softly.

"You miss me."

He felt her blush through the phone as she tried to come up with a remark back.

"You left, Mr Stark," she informed him, not wanting to lose this battle. "And it's quite...peaceful here today."

"Mhmm, but...." he goaded, hearing the rattling of tools in the background.

Okay, maybe this was a battle she would accept losing.

"But I wouldn't mind it if you came home," she offered again. Then, to make herself clear, she quickly added, "but no girls!"

Tony didn't care, though. He smiled a genuine smile into his drink and gave into his sappy feelings; she was right, he did have a heart somewhere within all that shrapnel.

"Well, I can think of one girl..." he told her seductively.

"Tony..." 

He heard Pepper scold him as he turned back around to try to locate Rhodey again, but her words were soon drowned out by silence as he focused on something else: an older man, familiar, walking past where his group had just stood. It was like everything had just quieted and stilled around him as he watched him walk by.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice crept in again, but Stark was focused on what he just saw.

The man held a strong mustache, gray hair, and wore a suit, just like Tony usually did. His presence was familiar, yet haunting at the same time. Had he just seen...?

"Tony, are you okay?"

Stark ran a hand through his goatee to sooth his mind, but he could still feel his chest pounding, making the arc glow brighter with each passing second.

"I think I just saw...Howard..." Tony mumbled, knowing he sounded like a lunatic.

"What? Your...dad?" Pepper was obviously concerned. "Tony...your dad's dead, remember-"

"Yeah..." he trailed off, still not convinced he had just been hallucinating. "I gotta go..."

He took for his drink again as he turned back to the bar and closed the phone; Pepper was going to kill him if he kept doing that, but this was a different circumstance. He downed the rest of the martini easily, then tried to steady his breathing. Howard had died. Both of his parents had died. A while ago. But he was sure that was what he had just witnessed. Was the palladium getting to him again?

As he signaled for a refill on the drink, a hand caught his shoulder and soothingly ran down his suit arm. He smirked into the new drink as he nodded at the bartender, then turned toward his company.

"Rough night?" a blond girl asked, smiling his direction as she found a seat next to Stark.

Tony held her gaze behind the glasses that still clung to his face and shrugged her off.

"It's just about to end," he muttered.

Tony struggled to remind himself to stay loyal to Pepper so they could figure out whatever the hell they were gonna be and looked back to his drink. Maybe it was time to retrieve Rhodey so they could hit the hotel and head home. He tapped his ear, where his earpiece for Jarvis still sat in case of emergency while he was away from his assistant, in hopes to summon his AI to locate his friend.

"Hey, Jar," he spoke to wake him up.

The girl next to him interrupted him, however, and continued on after stealing a sip from his drink and replacing it back in front of him.

"You're...Tony Stark, aren't you?" she purred, narrowing her eyes as she studied his surprised expression.

"How'd you guess?" he asked sarcastically.

"We've met."

"I get that a lot," he shoved at her; it was what most girls said nowadays.

"Relax, it's not how you think," the blonde played back, rolling her eyes.

"Then enlighten me."

She wasn't going to back down, despite how rude he wanted to be towards her. Instead, she traced her fingers down his arm and pushed his phone out of his hands to gain his full attention.

"The last time..." she began. "You were with your assistant."

He watched her. "Pepper's at home. Our home," he added after a second to make sure she understood.

But...that lead to a bigger question. Was it 'their' home? Could it be, if it wasn't at the moment?

"Right..." the girl muttered under her breath. "Still have the same sick sense of humor, don't ya, Stark?"

His lips pulled up to widen his smirk. "What some call sick others call satisfying."

"Ouch," she joked. "Don't worry, I won't tell Pepper."

Crap, he thought. One second blinked by and of course he reverted back to the old Tony. At least he didn't do anything more...so he wasn't technically cheating, right?

"Look, Tony," the woman pressed. "I know what you must think, but I promise you, this is just a business pitch."

Perfect, a business pitch. Just what I need.

Tony sipped the last of the second drink and met her gaze again. "I'm not taking proposals right now."

"Well, since the Stark Expo abruptly ended, the least you could do would be give me a few moments of your time," the girl responded.

Tony knew she was right; he had promised too many slots to too many people, even if the Expo had carried on as planned. So, he decided to humor her and faked a smile.

"Fine, two minutes. Go."

She smiled back. "What if you could duplicate any atom on this planet. Any array of them. Any object."

Tony raised an eyebrow and tapped his arc reactor gently. "Already had to, sweetheart."

She shot him a fake smile and looked at the bar counter top briefly.

"I'm talking bigger picture, Mr Stark," she corrected. "Any person, like a cloning machine. We've found a formula, using that," she pointed to his chest, "palladium, as a core. You could operate more than one Iron Man suit at the same time. Like the army Hammer wanted, but more...tame."

Tony glared at her. "And you saw how that ended. Not well."

"But it would be you," she proposed.

Stark thought her idea over. Yes, he had added the security protocol to the suits. But, would that even work in his favor? A million Tony's was hardly anyone's dream anymore, especially Pepper's; babysitting him was enough.

"I'm the only me we need," he told her kindly before standing up.

She caught his hand, though, and traced her nails over it until she flipped it over and opened his palm. Tony watched her as she did so, and felt a cool, metal object land between their skin.

"I thought you'd say that," she murmured. "And I promise you, it will worth your time to consider."

Where had he heard those words before?

"Miss..." Tony began, realizing he didn't have her name.

She shook her blonde head. "Names don't matter. Just...think about it. And while you do, here's a token of my appreciation..." She let her palm relax as she distributed the token into his own hand and closing it over the object. "And Tony..." She stood to walk away. "Don't let go of yourself, even for those you love."

He stared at her as she walked down the stairs and away from the bar, making her way towards the front door. Was she insane? Nothing she said made any sense. Then, he reverted his attention back to the object she had left him. It was cool and slick in his hand. He opened it to study it, but quickly pressed his skin back down on it; a grenade.

Looking around the room frantically, Tony felt his heart begin to pump again. The metal object was small, maybe the size of his phone, and was red and gold in color; of course, anyone would assume it was part of the Iron Man suit. On the side it read a name; not Star Industries, for once, but Avery. Assuming it was her name, he made a mental note of the word and tried to steady himself; it was blinking, and if he let go, the whole place would blow. It was almost as if she expected him to turn her down...or she had a major grudge on him for not continuing the Expo, even though Pepper was the one to say no.

Silently, Stark cursed himself for leaving the Iron Man case in Rhodey's car.

Rhodey, he realized.

If Stark could get the help of...whatever Rhodey wanted to call himself in that stupid silver pot, they might be able to fly this thing far away and save these people. Otherwise, he'd have to make sure he held a strong grip on it the rest of the night.

He stood and turned carefully, trying not to draw attention to himself, but in the corner of his eye, something else caught his attention. A strawberry blond, accepting a drink.

"Pepper?" he called quietly, not paying attention to anyone else in the area.

His voice caught in this throat as he watched her accept a red drink from a man holding a tray. A strawberry held onto the side of the glass and his eyes widened. She was allergic; he had to stop her.

"Pep!" he called again, realizing everything seemed like a standstill.

Then, suddenly, as he took a step toward the red head in her usual white suit, the man from earlier, who seemed as fatherly as Howard once was, passed by, knocking into Stark in the process. Tony took after him, but as soon as he followed through in his direction, he was gone, and so was something else.

Like a flash, the grenade was launched from his hand and he watched in slow motion as it flew to the floor, igniting as it went.

 

 

After a few moments, the ringing in his ears stopped. Then, as the arc reactor forced his heart to start again, Tony felt the need to breathe. He inhaled sharply and sucked in a big breath, jolting awake and attempting to sit up.

Rubble surrounded him. Dust filled the air, and silence boomed louder than anything else. He blinked and tried to fumble around and stand, but his legs wouldn't let him. He turned on his side; bodies were crumbled underneath parts of the structure, and few were breathing.

"Jarvis," he croaked, louder than he intended. 

Stark tried tapping his ear.

"Hey, Jarvis!" he tried once more, but nothing responded.

Shit.

Tony coughed, blinking heavily as the dust continued to rise. He felt a trickle of blood fall from his forehead; he must have sustained most of the blow. His arm, on the other hand, had no feeling. As he looked down, he felt queasy; his left hand was distorted and bloodied beyond recognition, but he didn't let it stop him; he'd have Jarvis look into it and heal himself in no time.

Pepper, he remembered, realizing she was the last thing he saw before the explosion happened.

He looked around until he stumbled on a disfigured woman, still holding onto a strawberry margarita, lying wounded next to him. She was breathing, but faintly.

Tony crawled over to her, exhaustion filling his body. The suit was definitely too far, but he had to get out of this and get back home to his assistant...but not before saving everyone he could. With or without the suit, he was Iron Man.

He managed his way over to the woman and checked her pulse; nothing. Next was CPR, but during his attempt to cover her body, he felt his own weakening and realized his hand wound was probably causing major blood loss; even though the grenade had been knocked from him, it had still caused enough damage to destroy the bar and stun the surrounding area, so naturally, his hand was the worst off...it was closest to impact.

Damnit, he cursed, feeling his head start to spin and another blackout coming around.

Then, he realized something; the arc still glowed in his chest. He studied it for a moment, watching its power flicker, but then once feeling for another pulse, realized he had to act fast. The woman was clearly not Pepper, but as his civil duty to the public, he had to do everything he could. Tony twisted the arc till it clicked out of his chest, then carefully held it out towards the woman. It was a stretch, but finally he was able to reach her.

The bottom of the arc reactor touched the girl's chest through her clothing as Tony struggled to keep his heart rate as steady as possible and he watched as she arched her back, responding to it. It acted like a charge - like paddles form the hospital. The small touch was more than enough for her, so he backed off. Then, when no results came in, he tried again, this time letting it linger over her body for a few more seconds.

Finally, the woman gasped for breath, but didn't wake up. Tony sighed, but clutched onto the arc; it was a reaction - he was unable to unclench his fist. His eyes widened as he realized he would go into cardiac arrest, and he coughed again to clear his lungs. Using his last conscious breath, he picked at the strawberry clinging to the edge of the girl's broken glass. It might not have been Pepper, but it was his only reminder; his phone was nowhere to be found, and there was no hope of getting to the armor in time to send her a message or phone call.

As he focused on the glow of the arc reactor, the world seemed to dim again, and before he knew it, he was drifting off and letting the blood loss take over.

 

 

2am was definitely too late for Pepper, but after sending the contractors home, she had some work to catch up on. She found herself on Tony's couch; the TV was on in the background as she finished up on some paperwork that had been in the back of her head all day. She knew Tony wouldn't be on his way until the morning, at the earliest, but she couldn't sleep with how their conversation ended.

She glanced at the bill from the earlier housework; the figure stunned her, but of course Stark could handle it. Plus, they had seemed nice enough, so the amount they billed didn't seem unnecessary; she trusted them. She had shown them the pillar from Tony's lab, but under her instruction, and immediately informed them Stark would be fixing it upon his return. They didn't question it.

From her side, she caught the news story on TV, and it instantly crushed her heart.

Atlantic City under attack? the title read.

Pepper stared at the screen as they showed brief scenes from whatever had happened. The place seemed destroyed from the inside out. She grabbed for her phone, trying to check for any incoming calls from Tony. It was empty.

"Jarvis," she instructed nervously. "Can you connect Mr Stark, please?"

"Yes, Miss Potts. One moment..." the AI replied.

She waited, breathless, as Jarvis attempted to connect Tony. She knew he was in DC, but Atlantic City wasn't too far, and he did say he was with Rhodey at a casino.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potts," Jarvis responded. "Mr Stark doesn't seem to be answering his calls."

Pepper felt faint; she couldn't handle this kind of situation again - Afghanistan had killed her enough, and that was before she lo-liked him as more than her boss.

"Where's the suit?" she questioned. "Tony took the suit, didn't he?" Her panic was starting to set in.

"The Mark Mr Stark had taken is currently still located in New Jersey."

Pepper felt her heart stop as she focused back on the TV screen. There were no reports of Tony or Iron Man, but she knew something wasn't right. She gathered her things and made her way to the workshop, instructing Jarvis to get ready for a long night; she wouldn't sleep until she located her boss.


	6. Avery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything Marvek or Iron Man related.

Damnit, Stark, a frantic Pepper Potts thought as she downed her fifth shot of espresso and swiped through more coded files. She tapped on two video cameras she had going that were scanning the outside of the house. It was going on nine hours since the TV reports first came in, which meant it had been a sleepless night for her; she hadn't kept track of the time since she dove into Tony's hard drives.

The last time he had gone missing, it had been for three months, and she was damned if she let that happened again. Before, Tony was stuck somewhere in another country, with war surrounding him, but this time, he had to be somewhere close to her still, even if it was across the country. If she had to, she'd have Jarvis ready the jet to take to DC, but she wanted to give him time to fly back if he was on his way. Pepper honesty just refused to accept that something had happened to him...not this time. Plus, Tony Stark was Iron Man; before, he was just Tony Stark. If anyone would keep out of harm's way, it would be him...right?

"Jarvis," she spoke, closing out of another window. "I know we already went through the video files, but is there any audio? Any voicemails or journals from recently?"

"One moment, Miss Potts," the AI told her as the computer screen brought up a list of recordings.

She had gone through his data files, his projects, his written memos and his video logs. She'd even done her research on Hammer to make sure this wasn't his doing. Nothing was coming up with useful information, so she was hoping it was just an accident that happened on the East Coast.

"While you're loading these, I think I need to take a shower..." she mumbled, realizing she needed a break before her head exploded. "Can you please try to connect Tony again? And keep tabs on those two suits."

She needed to prepare herself if she was going to head out to DC herself, and since she hadn't and couldn't sleep, a shower would be the next best thing. She also made a mental note to try Rhodey again when she was done; her first couple of calls had gone straight to voicemail and he wasn't picking up in the suit he had, which made sense if they weren't using them.

Tony, please be okay, she prayed as she slowly pulled herself up the stairs and away from his workshop. Then, she added out loud, "don't forget, you're all I have, Stark..."

She sighed as she checked her phone again when she reached the top of the stairs and it still showed no new messages...only more articles popping up under Tony's name; everyone was assuming he had something to do with it after the paparazzi had caught he and Rhodey going into the casino.

Then, Pepper gasped as she nearly bumped into something...or someone...and looked up at her company.

"Rhodey!" Pepper exclaimed, never happier to see the military man. "Where's Tony? Is he okay?"

She approached him, flipping her light hair, which was now let down, over her shoulder. Analyzing him, she noted he looked...pretty good for potentially having been in an explosion. Had he left before Tony? Impatiently, she waited for an answer.

"Pepper," he greeted, though it sounded more like a question.

She stared at him, waiting for any kind of information. His eyes looked cold; darker than usual, and he didn't smile.

"Where is he, Rhodey?" she repeated, feeling her heart start to race. "Weren't you with him in DC?"

"I just had the military fly me back. Pepper I need you to sit down," he ordered, trying to guide her to the couch, but she shook his hand off of her arm.

"What happened," she demanded, clenching her phone tighter in her hand.

"Pepper, I don't know how to tell you this..." Rhodey told her, looking at the floor as he did so. "Mr Stark didn't make it."

At first, Pepper was silent. Then, she wanted to laugh at him, but her instinct told her not to. She watched him as he looked up to make eye contact with her. He looked uncomfortable, but not hurt or upset. Something was off... Why didn't he bring the suit back? And had he just called Tony 'Mr Stark'?

"Tony's more resilient than that," she replied quietly.

"Pepper, I promise you, I-"

"I'm going to take a shower, Colonel Rhodes," the red head interrupted cooly. "Tony's alive. And when I come back, we'll work on finding him."

Sure, he could be telling the truth, in which case she didn't know how to react or what to do, but she had also heard those words before and was proven otherwise when she watched her boss stumble off of a military carrier after three months of being held captive. She watched as the man beside her gave her a forced smile before turning to leave. Then, trying not to seem suspicious, she locked herself in the bathroom and immediately flipped open her phone and keyed in a number. After a few rings, a female's voice answered.

"Pepper?"

"Natasha!" she breathed quietly, trying to keep her voice quiet as she turned on the water to muffle her call. "Are you still in New York? I need a favor."

"Is everything okay?"

"No," she told the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent simply, trying to keep her voice steady. "Have you seen the news?"

"The explosion? Yeah, we're...working on it."

"Tony's there," she whispered.

"Stark?" Nat seemed surprised. "No one's detected any of his suits on thermal or radar, and I haven't seen him. Are you sure he's not on his way back-"

Pepper cut her friend off. "I don't know, but...something's not right."

Nat prompted Pepper to continue, despite having to shout orders at a few agents in the background briefly.

"Rhodey showed up...here. He was with Tony last night. He..he said Tony didn't make it," she forced out, not willing to accept those words.

"Tony's dead?" Natasha questioned, clearly not believing that either. "I haven't seen him listed on our reports." She was back to business in a split second.

"He's not dead, Natasha," Pepper corrected. "It'll take a lot to kill Tony Stark." She heard the other red head laugh in agreement before adding, "actually, he said Mr Stark was dead."

She didn't have to explain; Pepper knew Nat would understand where she was coming from after hearing all of them bicker during the Hammeroid attack. Rhodey and Tony were too close to be using formal names, even if something had really happened to Stark.

Potts continued. "I don't know what's going on, but that's not Rhodey, and Tony is still missing."

"I'm too far away, but I'll handle over here," Natasha answered while throwing some leftover debris from the explosion to the side to reveal a crushed cell phone. "I'll speak to command; Coulson's closer to you, he'll dispatch him from New Mexico as soon as I get clearance from Fury."

"Thank you," Pepper sighed, feeling a little relieved, even though Rhodey was scaring the hell out of her and Tony was still missing in action.

"Pepper," Natasha added to get her attention. "Watch yourself over there. Keep me posted."

"Yeah. Of course," Stark's assistant promised.

Natasha heard her reply and ended the call, pocketing her phone. In her other hand, she inspected the crushed one she had uncovered at the scene of the crime; Stark Industries, it read on the side.

She sighed and looked up. Not a good sign.

 

 

After a few seconds of muffled noises alerting him he was in the presence of other people, Tony began to come to his senses but held his eyes shut in pain; his chest stung, and bad. Finally, he dared to open them and was met with brightness. He groaned.

"Tony?" he heard a voice call from the other side of the room. "Tony, you awake?"

Another groan came from Stark as he tried to block out the noise of tools hitting metal and sat up. He held his arm over his eyes to try to adjust to the light, but removed it when he tasted blood on his lips.

"What happened?" he managed to get out while he took in his surroundings. "Where's Pepper?"

Stark was on a table, laid out like a doctor's patient, in what appeared to be a military bunker. There was no sign of Pepper, but to his side, he focused on the silhouette of his military friend - Rhodey.

He frowned as he rushed to Tony's side and tried to lay him back down. He knew he would be stubborn about it, but he had to at least try to get him to stay still until he recovered a little.

"Careful..." Rhodes warned. "You were in cardiac arrest when I found you."

"Where's Pepper?" Tony repeated, becoming more and more aware as the seconds passed.

"What?" Rhodey was obviously confused. "In Malibu. She didn't come with you, remember?"

Tony looked him over; he didn't have any dust, any scratches...and had he mentioned he had pulled him from the explosion? Where had he gone?

"You were there," Tony commented. "Why aren't you hurt?"

"I was at the ceremony, Tony..." Rhodey answered carefully. "After that, you took off before I was done addressing command for my next assignment with the suit."

Tony's eyebrows pressed together as he tried to figure out what was going on. So, he had seen his dad, Pepper, and another version of Rhodey...all of which weren't actually there. He groaned again, thinking of the woman who had handed him the grenade.

"Avery..." he mumbled, dabbing his lip with his thumb to check for the source of blood. "The woman. Where's the blonde?"

Rhodey frowned again. "Tony...there were hundreds of people in that building." He grabbed him a towel to clean off the blood and tossed it back at him. "Looked like you were trying to help them, but by the time I got the suit back on and got there, you were out of it. You took your arc out."

"Yeah, as a conductor," he clarified. "I was trying to save Pe..."

Tony stopped sort of what he was saying, knowing he sounded insane. Obviously, something was going on, and he could almost bet it had to do with the woman. 

"Pepper wasn't there, Tony," Rhodey told him again. "I tried to call her, but whatever Hammer did with this suit cut my communications to Jarvis." He motioned toward the War Machine armor.

Jarvis, Tony remembered. He had been trying to connect to him, too, with no results. The earpiece must be malfunctioning, but the suit would be able to call back home. He reached for his pocket first, checking for his phone, but then remembered he hadn't been able to find it in the rubble, either.

"Where's the case?" he asked. "I need the suit."

"This suit? Do you always leave your toys lying around?" 

Suddenly, a very annoyed looking Natasha Romanoff burst through the entrance way of the room they were in, carrying Tony's suitcase for the Mark unit he brought. She dropped it at his side as he swung his legs to the side of the table.

"You left it in the parking garage. Any particular reason why you thought that would be a good idea?"

Tony glared at her. "Thanks, honey."

Rhodey rolled his eyes and greeted Natasha. "Agent."

"You two know each other?" Tony asked, surprised. "Hey, where the hell are we, anyway?"

Stark jumped off the table and padded over to inspect the War Machine suit. With a simple re-aligning of some wires and a new core, he could get it back up and running and, hopefully, connected to Jarvis. He made a mental note to take it off systems when he got back to Malibu though - there was no doubt Rhodey was going to con him into keeping it somehow, and he didn't want the military messing with his stuff.

"Base," Rhodey answered nonchalantly.

"Pepper contacted me," Nat told him after sharing a glance with Rhodey. "There's a situation at home."

"Situation? What kind of situation?"

"She thinks..." Natasha seemed uneasy. "She thinks she's with Rhodey."

Tony hesitated, processing what the agent told him before turning back toward his own case and dropping it on the ground. He held his foot out and activated it, sending it forming up his body as he suited up. Before he could close the face plate, though, Romanhoff held out her hand in warning and asked him to wait.

"I gotta get back," Tony told her with concern filling his voice.

"And I need to know what's going on," Natasha countered. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can help, Mr Stark."

"Yeah, you said that last time, too."

"And who reset the suits?"

"Who took out the Hammeroid army? You wanna go? I'm the one wearing the suit."

"Will you two stop your bickering!" Rhodey interrupted. "Tony, you said you saw me here. Pepper's claiming I'm with her. What is going on."

Tony put a hand to his forehead again as his headache returned. "The blonde," he groaned as he tried to process what she had said to him. "There was a blonde at the bar. I think her name was Avery."

"I can have the unit run a check on her," Rhodey offered.

Tony gave him a look of approval. "I'll get Jarvis on it, too."

"Anything else?" Romanhoff pried, her irritation showing.

Then, it hit him. And I promise you, it will worth your time to consider, she had told him.

"I've met her before," Tony concluded. "Years ago. When I hired Pepper."

"So she's one of your-" Natasha began, but he cut her off with an intense stare.

"She tried to pitch me this thing about duplicating energy and mutating..." Stark trailed off as he realized what she was pitching. "She was there, last night. I turned her down again after she compared it to Hammer's idea."

"That worked out well," Rhodey muttered sarcastically, making Tony smirk.

"That's exactly what I told her. I think she was trying to pitch it to help; keep Iron Man running around the clock."

"So she...blew up the casino?"

Stark shrugged slightly, the suit limiting his depth of movement. 

"So you're saying she can...clone...people?" Rhodey asked, not wanting to sound crazy.

"It's possible," Tony confirmed. "If you just calculate the amount of energy necessary to-"

"English, Mr Stark," Natasha requested, folding her arms over her chest.

"I recreated the arc reactor, didn't I?"

"So then what am I doing in Malibu?" Rhodey asked, quickly interjecting.

Tony glanced back at him. "She needs the arc technology. It sustains me...and the suits. She wants it to make her formula more than just a one time use."

"So...transform...instead of just cloning."

"Depending on how easily her formula can bend those elements," Stark confirmed.

Natasha understood. "So she tried to make you see Rhodey as part of her presentation, and Pepper is seeing him now-"

"For access to the workshop."

Tony urgently closed his face plate, summoning his AI and powering up his jets. He looked around for an exit and found a few open windows; that'd be better than breaking the roof.

"Jarvis," he spoke.

"Welcome back, Mr Stark," the voice echoed inside the helmet as the systems performed their retinal scan and brought up Tony's usual displays.

"Man, is it good to hear that."

"Tony!" Romanhoff called over the noise of his powered up armor.

His head twisted down towards her as he lifted himself off the floor. "I need you to get Rhodey up and running again."

"Coulson's on his way to Pepper," she soothed, knowing he was going to rush back to her as fast as his suit would allow. "But...whoever that is, they told her you didn't survive the explosion."

He nodded, and with that, he propelled himself out of the building and into the sky, sending the table he was just sitting on tumbling backwards.

"Jar," he requested. "Connect Miss Potts."

The small photo of her emerged from the corner of his screen and he gazed at it, fear creeping over him. Who knows what that fake Rhodey was going to do to get access to his files. He was just glad Pepper was smart enough to know something was up.

"Sir..." Jarvis informed him, "Miss Potts is not responding... Shall I try her again?"

"Yeah, do that."

He wasn't about to give up until he was able to know the situation at home.

 

 

Come on, Natasha... Pepper groaned internally as she looked at her blank phone. It had been almost eighty minutes since their call, and she was almost begging to get a response from the woman before she had to go back to dealing with whatever version of Rhodey was outside.

Sighing, she knew she couldn't hold him off any longer, especially since she locked the entrance to the workshop behind her, and made her way back out and onto the main level.

"Rhodey?" she called, trying her best to sound friendly.

Her heels clicked as she walked down the hard steps. There was no sign of him on the main level, and no response. Her heartbeat picked up as she realized he must have gained access to the workshop after all. Sure, Rhodey should be allowed to enter...Tony had set it up that way. But something was off, and she didn't feel comfortable leaving him alone with Tony's personal records.

"Rhodey?" she called again, making her way toward the lower level.

She took the stairs, and not the elevator, in hopes of getting there faster. Then, Pepper saw what she feared most; her instincts were right. Glass was shattered in front of the door, as if Tony had never cleaned up after his first experiments with the Iron Man suit. She remembered coming down to find him sitting in one of his chairs with his feet up and his shades on, looking probably as relaxed as he had ever been.

As she walked down the stairs, she stupidly made for the door, even though it was the only part of the wall still standing. Glass crunched under her feet as she tried to tug at it.

Tony looked up at her in amusement, and was quick with his sarcastic reply.

"Careful. The door's sticking a little."

Stunned, Pepper decided he was right and went to step around the broken glass wall, almost slipping as he heels dug into the slick pieces on the ground. She held onto the door for balance as she stepped closer to Tony.

"What happened here?" the red head asked.

"Broken glass."

Really? That's all he had to say about it? He seemed so...calm for rushing her over at an absurd hour of the morning.

"What's the emergency?" It was more like an accusation than a question.

"I would like to throw a party," Tony told her matter-of-factly, staring at his hands. Then, he faced her again. "So...could you get the house in Dubai ready, please?"

She sighed mentally but didn't let her frustration show. Instead, she just questioned the timing.

"Now?"

"Yup."

After a moment of hesitation, she gave in and agreed. "Sure."

"Thanks."

A smile was plastered on his face, reminding Pepper why she still worked for his egocentric self.

"Miss Potts!" a voice called as the body of an older man turned around from Tony's work station on the other side of where the glass walls once stood. "Thanks for joining me. I was beginning to get worried."

She swallowed nervously as she realized the man before her was familiar...maybe one of the men who had done the housework the day prior...but he wasn't Rhodey.

"Where's Rhodey?" she asked quietly, taking a small step closer.

She flashed her gaze towards the desk, noting how close he was standing to the desktop where Jarvis could be summoned without speaking out loud. But, as if he read her mind, a sly smile graced his middle aged face and he turned away from whatever he was punching into the display case. 

"Jarvis is...temporarily unavailable," he commented. "As is your friend."

"What did you do with him?" she questioned. "With both of them."

"Well, Jarvis was easy; he let your friend Colonel Rhodes in like a charm. Seems your new boyfriend added some kind of security measure which gave me instant access. As for Rhodey, as you call him...you see, Rhodey is me."

She looked at him, worry plastered on her face as she contemplated her next move. If Jarvis wasn't available, who would she be able to contact instead? She mentally noted she left her phone in the bathroom for safekeeping, and Agent Couslon still hadn't arrived in Nat's place.

"Why don't you come here and help a guy out?" he requested, but it was more like an order.

Pepper was wondering about his authority, but judging by his size, should wouldn't be able to take him without help. She debated running up to get her phone in attempt to locate Tony again, but since he wasn't picking up, there would be no point. She could call Natasha again as well, but she had already promised to call Coulson in; there was nothing else she could do from New York.

Then, it hit her. If she could pretend to do as he asked, she could hopefully snag one of Tony's prototype gauntlets from one of the display suits and give herself an advantage. She would have to be swift with it for it to work.

"Where's Rhodey?" she asked again, but proceeded to approach the man.

As she did, she realized he didn't need her to access the suits, but to open the lock on Tony's spare palladium cores. He may have dismantled Jarvis, but he hadn't completely gained Stark's pass codes, giving him trouble as he tried to access the arc core. Pepper slowly and carefully punched in the code, trying to desperately to remember Tony's override that would allow her to open everything at once.

"You'd think Mr Stark's personal assistant would be a little more intelligent..." he growled, and suddenly, he was changing before her eyes.

Pepper's breath caught as she watched him thin out and his skin darken until he looked completely like Rhodes and not the older man that had just stood before her; even his voice had changed.

"You see," he explained as Pepper hit enter and the glass cases opened to reveal what he needed. "It's just a mask, Miss Potts. I'm sure you'll learn more after we go public with this. It's a shame Mr Stark didn't want to use it for his own capabilities...we designed it for Iron Man, after all."

"Designed what?" she snapped, trying to distract the man.

Carefully, Pepper reached behind her as the man picked up the spare arc reactor and turned away. She felt the cool metal of the hand shaped glove that slipped over her fingers; the gauntlet wasn't complete, but it would give her the arc energy for a moment. It was charged enough for one shot.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," he told her after he finished inspecting the piece. "You'll find out soon enough."

Then, he walked to the other side of the workshop and kicked open one of Tony's suitcases designed to snap onto him; as Rhodey, he would pass the security tests and be able to take it out.

"Stop," Pepper demanded, suddenly urgent as she watched the suit form to him.

She held out her palm, now enlaced in the small arc repulsor, and heard it charge up as she readied her aim. She had seen Tony do it a million times, but never understood how it worked. Either way, she knew he had granted her access, as well, in fear of something like this happening.

Having absolutely no idea what she was doing, she waited a little too long, and after a laugh from the suited up, fake Rhodes, she was attacked by his own palm. He lifted it and blasted her like it was his job, leaving her completely winded and her chest scalding as she flew back into the glass cabinets, shattering them and sending pieces of Tony's suits to the ground as they dismantled.

"Don't bring a knife to a gun fight, Miss Potts," he warned.

Then, he powered the jets on the feet of the Mark unit and propelled himself out of Tony's garage and into the sky, far away from the girl as he held onto the prized possession.

Back against the wall, Pepper struggled for breath; he had knocked the air from her lungs and left her in a tangled mess of limbs on the floor. She wanted to move, but didn't dare; she felt a warm puddle of blood oozing from her thigh from underneath her, and she didn't want to chance anything worse being stuck in her back.

As she touched the blood, she lifted her free hand slowly to inspect it; yup, it was bad. Think, Pepper! she cursed, but black spots were appearing in her eyes. Get back here, Tony...soon.

 

 

Jarvis had gone down about three hours into his flight, leaving Tony to fly solo until he reached his Malibu home. He guessed a malfunctioned glitch, like Rhodey's suit, but something didn't feel right. He struggled to find the mansion for a little while, but once reaching the coast, it was a simple streak south until it bent inward. 

He heard the metal clank of his suit landing on the concrete of his garage and braced himself as he made impact. Immediately, the faceplate came off, followed by the rest of the suit as it folded back up into its suitcase design. He was quite happy with it so far...it had aided them on vacation, and it had aided him in DC; two for two was a good record.

Tony walked brashly down the ramp, setting the case down next to one of his cars as he read the situation; Natasha was right...it was bad.

"Hey! Rhodey!" he called, expecting whoever was posing as Rhodey to respond, but there was nothing.

Suddenly, he felt his blood chill as he spotted her; Pepper, in a fainted mess and a pool of blood, surrounded by his suit pieces.

"No," he whispered, beginning to jog toward her. "No, no, no!"

Stark slid onto his knees beside her, not caring how badly the glass had stuck into them; he could deal with a couple scrapes.

"Come on, Pep. Don't do this to me," he muttered as he gently pushed her to the side to inspect the piece of glass emerging from her thigh.

Then, he noticed the arc repulsor she had applied; he was proud, she had fought back.

He held his breath but decided he had to chance moving her and lifted her easily. He carried her bridal style and gently laid her down on the metal table where he had the suit laid out before he left, making sure not to put any pressure where the wound was.

"Jarvis," he called. "Hey, Jarvis!"

No response. Shit. He briefly rushed to the desktop to boot up his systems, and after keying in a few lines of code, was able to recover his AI.

"Mr Stark, it's a pleasure to be back online," he greeted.

"What happened Jarvis?!" Tony yelled, clearing the desk with his arm. "Dum-E," he summoned, pointing at the remote droid in the corner. "I want you over here, now. Stand by. I need the medical kit up here, stat."

The lazy robot carried over the first aid kit and a bottle of alcohol, holding it out to Stark as he ripped Pepper's skirt up the seam.

"Sorry, Pep..."

He put pressure on the wound, but realized he had to pull the piece out of he wanted to patch her up. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep. He watched carefully as he put pressure on either side with his fingers, then used the other hand to quickly tug it from its place. Quickly, he retrieved the bandage from the robot and applied it, then took a wrap from the kit and tightly wound up around her thigh.

"This is definitely the closest I've been to a girl's thigh without winding up in bed," he joked out loud, trying to lighten the tension he placed on himself. "Only for you, Potts. Jarvis, run a scan on her vitals."

He faked a smile and wiped his hands off. Then, he placed two fingers on her neck to check her breathing.

"No reading, sir," Jarvis alerted him, sending him into desperation.

"No on my watch, Potts."

Stark fumbled for the keyboard he had wiped to the ground and typed in a few pieces of coding before releasing a vault from the floor that housed his pet project; the arc braces he had been designing to sustain life.

"Sir, I must warn you...tests have not been complete on this piece yet-"

"Don't have time for tests, Jarvis!" Tony scolded before grabbing one chest plate and rushing back to Pepper.

He lifted her with one arm and brought the metal body plate over her head, then poked her arms through it. Her lightness and limpness on his arm frightened him.

"Come on, babe..." he whispered as he tapped a button and it tightened around her torso. "Jarvis, initiate startup."

"Yes, sir," the AI replied.

The arc began to glow, and shortly after, it acted as a conductor and shocked her chest until her heart rate picked up.

"Another scan," he instructed, holding his breath.

After a few silent moments, Tony closed his eyes and grabbed her hand, using his other to support her on the table.

"I'm not gonna lose you yet, Potts..." he told her. "Come on..."

"Heart rate is steady, sir," Jarvis finally informed him, telling Tony he could let out the breath he had been holding.

He fell back into the chair Dum-E had pushed behind him and sighed, feeling his blood rush through his veins. There was no way he was letting Pepper out of his sight again.

"Shall I do a full scan, Mr Stark?" Jarvis asked.

"Yeah," Tony agreed, trying to calm himself down from the anxiety he felt creeping into his veins. "Thanks. Do me another favor - call Rhodes."

"Sir, before I connect you to Colonel Rhodes...it seems someone is approaching the front door."

"Who is it?"

"It looks as if it's Agent Coulson, sir," the AI specified.

Tony swallowed and looked at his bloodied hands; the place was a mess.

"Let him in," he decided.


	7. All I Have

"Agent Coulson!" Tony welcomed as he drug himself up the stairs and to the front entrance of the house.

Truthfully, the last thing he wanted was to do with anymore S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but right now, his focus was on keeping Pepper safe. He could use the extra help.

"Agent," Stark repeated when he locked eyes with the man walking into his home.

Immediately, Coulson pulled for his weapon on his hip and held it towards Tony.

"Hands where I can see them, Stark," he ordered.

Complying, Tony lifted both hands into the air, raising his eyebrows at the agent.

"Okay, I can see that you spoke to Romanoff-" he began, taking a step closer to Coulson.

"I'm warning you Tony, stand back!"

Stark forced a smile and realized the blood covering his hands and clothes probably wasn't the best look he could've gone with.

"I really don't feel comfortable with that thing aimed at me."

Then, Coulson raised his voice which only made Tony speak louder as well to try to top the agent, even though he was only doing his job.

"Mr Stark, if you don't take-"

"Hey. Hey, it's me."

"-a step back, I'm-"

"Coulson, I am telling you the truth. Pepper is-"

"-going to have to shoot."

"Pepper is downstairs, unconscious, and I really don't have time to do this," Tony finally yelled back.

Coulson quieted himself but kept his weapon high. Sighing in relief, Tony spoke slower and calmer to prove himself.

"I asked you to go on a Starbucks run, remember?" he offered, thinking of what he went with when Fury had last sent him to babysit.

Slowly, Coulson lowered the gun and placed it back in his belt loop, accepting Tony's proof.

"Good." Tony relaxed, rolling his eyes subtly. "I was starting to think I was gonna get my brains blown out."

"The thought is still there."

He ignored the agent. "Now if you'd like to come with me..."

Tony ushered Coulson to follow him with a hand gesture. He hobbled his way back down the stairs to check on the scan Jarvis should have completed.

"What happened?" Coulson asked, almost inaudible.

"Uh. Not sure. Haven't had time to pull up the security tapes yet."

"Is she...is she okay?" Coulson asked, his face paling at the sight of Pepper.

"Jarvis?"

"Vitals look good, sir. We are just waiting for Miss Potts to wake up," the AI responded as the scan closed.

"She'll need some healing. I got it covered," Stark muttered, making it clear he was unhappy with Coulson not arriving sooner. "Jarv, can you play back the tapes?"

"Loading them now, Mr Stark."

Tony picked up a piece of glass off the desk and looked around. Then, he tossed it back against the place where Pepper had landed, scowling at the blood still on the floor. He'd get Dum-E on it after he made sure Pepper was awake. As he was scanning the the rest of the broken display, his eyes narrowed and he urgently turned back to his desktop, pulling the screens back up and into place.

"Do a suit check for me," he demanded.

"What's missing?" Coulson asked, immediately picking up on his frustration.

"The Mark V-B unit was dispatched while I was out of service," Jarvis replied sadly. "The spare arc is also out of display."

"Out of display?"

"Stolen. No thanks to you."

"Mr Stark, with all due respect-" Coulson began, but Tony interrupted.

"No, agent, you should have been here. Romanoff called you, what, five hours ago?"

"I was on a case in New Mexico."

"It's a bordering state."

"Not quite. We don't all have high powered jets like you."

"Which is precisely why I need that arc back."

Tony fell back into the chair, still positioned beside Pepper, and sighed. He lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it to ease the headache that was setting on.

"Jarvis, locate the suit."

Coulson walked towards the table to look Pepper over. "So what now?" he asked.

"So now I get the suit back," Tony said with sass as he tossed his hand in the air, assuming it was an obvious answer.

"And the arc?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice, considering it's what keeps me alive." He glared at the agent.

Jarvis spoke up after running location services on the Mark, only to come up out of range. "I am unable to track it, sir. It seems the last ping was detected heading...over the Pacific Ocean."

Tony frowned. "Great. Guess they deactivated the tracker, then."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. can help, Mr Stark," Coulson spoke, his hands perfectly at his sides.

Tony looked up at the man and rolled his eyes. "Like you could help Pepper until I got back?"

"We don't want this kind of technology on the loose any more than you do."

Sighing, Stark decided to agree. He could take his own suit back out, but not until he had an idea of where he was going, and backup; Rhodey would be ready by the following day...he hoped. If Pepper had used his repulsor against whoever had taken it and still couldn't succeed, it was obvious the thief knew what they were doing. That, and he was more worried about Pepper than he was about to admit.

"Fine. But I'm not going anywhere until Pepper is awake."

"We'll track the arc in the meantime and prep you on the required steps for retrieving it."

In his mind, Tony knew he wouldn't follow their directions. Hell, they both knew it. But he had to fake an agreement to get the man off his back.

"Jarvis, do another background check. Get me any info on the name Avery on the Expo list."

"Yes, sir. Working on it now."

"Sounds English," Coulson commented. "Or German."

"So, what? You making family trees out of my enemies now?" Tony tossed, opening a display hologram of Pepper's stats above the table.

"Just getting the basics for Fury."

"Right," Tony muttered under his breath. He tapped at the screen some more to analyze her heart rate. "Tell him his mom says hi."

Coulson had a twinkle in his eye as he tried to mask his humour, but didn't respond to Stark's comment. Instead, he pulled out his phone to make a the calls needed to begin their mission.

"I'll report back when I can," he told Tony as he walked back towards the stairs. "And...we'll need to debrief you again, as well."

"On what?" Stark accused.

Raising an eyebrow, Coulson snickered at Tony. "The Expo. And...this," he warned him as he waved a hand around, motioning towards the workshop.

"You can have the tapes when I'm done with them," he answered without emotion, still focused on his screens.

"Not the accident, Mr Stark," Coulson corrected.

Tony frowned, knowing what he was getting at. Since when was it necessary to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. all of his personal details? If they wanted that, they were in for a long story; he honestly couldn't even count the number of girls he had messed around with in his life. Thankfully, knowing Pepper, she would be fine with discussing it if it helped his case, but he wasn't about to dish anything out until they got to talk it over...which seemed like it would be never at the rate they were going.

"Don't forget to tell eye patch," Tony replied, ignoring the agent's comment about his new relationship. "Seriously. She sent a card and everything."

 

 

After a long hour of rewatching the security tapes Jarvis had displayed once rebooted, Tony had fallen asleep with his head rested in his hands, still seated on Dum-E's gift of a chair. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but watching Pepper finally lulled him into rest mode; his body ached from being flung across the casino and recharged by Rhodey.

Stark had rerun the tapes several times to try to get a good look at the guy who had taken the suit, but without clarification on if he was even presenting himself correctly, he had no idea of his identity. He was stunned as he witnessed the transformation as it seemed like something fictional when compared to reality, but given how far his technology had gotten in the past few years combined with the presentations that were planned for the Expo, anything was possible. He would have to wait until Pepper was awake to ask her about it and hope that Jarvis or S.H.I.E.L.D. could come up with some background for the woman; he was Tony Stark, but his intel only went so far past the racy photos he was able to pull up through his systems.

Prepping himself to be alone while Coulson was off God know where doing God knows what, he instructed Jarvis to lock down the house for the night; no one in and no one out, even if they appeared to be any of the people on the security protocol clearance.

After a while, Pepper's motionless body started to stir and the heart rate on the popped up virtual display began to elevate.

"Tony," she mumbled as she woke up from her dream, making her hand twitch.

Her forehead wrinkled but her eyes remained closed as she began to come to, stating Tony's name again. Finally, on a third call, she turned her head to the side and blinked her blue eyes open, taking in her surroundings. To her left was the shattered glass doors she had walked through and the familiar bar Tony had installed in the workshop. Then, she arched her back and stretched her neck in an attempt to look up and above her for her attacker, but was weighed down by the device around her small frame. She swallowed hard, then looked down to see the familiar blue glow of the arc, only this time, on her own chest and not Tony's.

She was speechless, but tried to sit up as she regained some strength, only to have her wounded leg and bruised back force a pained grunt out of her lungs. She brought her shaking hands up to feel the cool metal of the brace around her and traced its outline until she met the arc in the center. Pepper could feel her heart beat a million miles a second and the beeping of the vitals tab quickly made her aware of that. She was panicked; what happened to her? She appreciated Tony for everything he had, including the arc, but it was not something could force herself to live with. Where did it even come from; had the intruder done this to her? No - it looked familiar...was it...the project of Tony's she had found?

"Oh my God," she finally whispered, her scratchy, faint voice ridden with sadness and frantic realization that she must have died...and someone must have saved her.

Then, she forced herself another go at sitting up as she inspected her hands; her right palm still held the repulsor she had grabbed from Tony's prototype cabinet, and...blood? Yup, it was blood.

Pepper felt sick to her stomach as she realized she remembered sitting in a pool of her own warm blood as it seeped from the place where a shard of glass had cut into her thigh, and as she woke up little by little, she began to feel that pain still stabbing at her. She reached down with her repulsor hand again and, with a gasp, tried to feel for the piece of glass she saw earlier. Nothing.

"Pepper?"

She heard a groggy voice call her nickname from her right and without a second thought, put herself back into the situation she was in before passing out and remained defensive. She quickly head up her palm, turned away to block her face with her other arm, and heard the familiar charge of the repulsor before she set it off in the direction of her company. She heard more glass shatter; probably the only cases she hadn't flown into on the far side of the room, or one of Tony's remaining cars.

"Shit..." she heard the voice mumbled in pain and she peeked an eye open to look to her right.

On the floor, she saw a broken chair with a melted hole through the seat and next to it, a collapsed Tony, gripping his abdomen in pain. He looked like Tony, but then again, the man that attacked her had looked like Rhodey before, so she couldn't let her guard down. Pepper held her arm back out, charging the repulsor in defence; it was tricky, but she had a grasp on how to make it work.

"Hey hey hey!" Tony warned, lifting his hands in surrender. "Pep. It's me. Down girl."

She scowled at him, keeping her palm up and the repulsor bright.

"I gotta be honest," Tony continued, now fully awake and aware of the situation. "I really didn't expect you to take an interest in the suits-"

She fired again, this time aiming away from him to make a point. That was the last of the glass left standing in the room, she noted.

"Okay. Yeah. I guess this place needed some remodeling," he muttered as he twisted around to look at the unguarded displays. Then, he focused back on her, charging up again. "Okay. Okay. Time to be serious. Right." He fumbled with his loss of words. "Uh...hey, uh, remember that time I brought you strawberries and-"

She narrowed her eyes, making him abruptly change his mind.

"Or, um...how 'bout my social security number?" he asked after taking a second to think back on something personal between them. "Five, right? Yeah. I don't know the other eight. You have the other eight. I need you for that."

That memory triggered her, and suddenly Pepper heaved out an audible sigh and relaxed her arm. Recognizing the moment of peace, Stark scrambled to his feet and pulled himself up at her side. He wrapped her arm around his shoulder and aided her as she tried to lift herself up into a sitting position, making sure she didn't hurt herself further.

"He took the suit and the arc and I tried but I..." Pepper began pouring out as she let herself try to recover from the bloodrush to her head after sitting up. "I'm sorry, Tony-"

"It's okay," he promised, still holding onto her. "But uh...let's get this out of your reach for now," he added, slipping the repulsor off of her hand.

"Oh my God, are you gonna be okay?" she managed to squeak out, realizing he was still wincing in pain at the small burn she had left on his arm.

"Am I gonna be okay?"

Her question earned one of his usual, high pitched laughs from the heart in response, but she only looked at him with concern. She could feel his breath on her skin.

"You're somethin else, Miss Potts," he concluded, looking up into her eyes.

She let her gaze linger on him for a few moments before she realized she could still hear her heartbeat echoe around the room, which was rapidly picking up due to their closeness. Shyness crept over her as her cheeks burned red and she looked down at herself for the first time since sitting up.

"Am I..." she croaked. "Am I gonna be like you now?"

Pepper hated herself for asking, but she had to know the severity of her situation.

Tony frowned as she looked towards his arc, glowing beneath his thin, blood stained dress shirt. He let her balance herself and removed her arm from over his shoulder so he could stand and close out her vital tabs and have Jarvis shut down everything for the night.

"Just temporary," he eased, trying not to be hurt but her fear of the arc reactor. "See?"

He pressed a few buttons on the screen and it released from her torso, pulling away from her skin. Pepper felt her breath catch as it unhooked from over her core, but was soon breathing on her own; she would be okay. A mess, but okay.

"You might have a few marks on your chest where it anchored in," Stark continued, looking back at her after closing out the last display. "I can check for those if you'd like."

Tony grinned, making her blush. She thought for a moment about him analyzing the area where the arc had been. She didn't hate the idea. Then she realized what he had done to fix her wound; her skirt was ripped up to her hip, revealing everything she had to show underneath. She silently prayed he had been a gentleman about it.

"But definitely not permanent," he finished, forcing his lips to curve on one side in the slightest of a saddened smile.

Pepper sighed in relief, slipping herself carefully out of the device. Her body ached, but she couldn't even imagine what Tony must be going through. She weakly smiled at him, trying her best not to move on her own. He watched her with the same half smirk, taking in her frailness; there was nothing he hated more than seeing her hurt.

He rolled back on his heels and smiled a real smile, taking a step towards her as she tried to inspect her bandage.

"I want you off of that leg for a few days. Nothing too bad. Just don't want it to keep bleeding..."

"Yes, Mr Stark," she whispered back playfully.

Pepper scooted toward the end of the table so she could hang her legs off of it for some comfort. Stark glanced at the floor as he placed both hands on the table, one on either side of her. Sensing his defeat, she tilted her head to the side as she gently moved on hand over his own. He looked up at her with care glimmering in his chocolate eyes; he never looked more tired and beat up to her.

Pepper noted his rugged appearance. He had dried blood cracked along his lip and a streak from his forehead, and he had dust and dirt coating his entire body, despite being in and out of the Iron Man suit. She lifted her free hand and slightly rubbed at the wound on his forehead, making him smirk as he shot puppy dog eyes up at her in response. The moment of silence was welcomed, but he had so much in his heavy heart that he couldn't figure out how to say.

Instead, Pepper, despite being beat up and wounded, herself, pulled him in to lightly place her lips on his forehead with a soft kiss. She heard Tony sigh as she removed them and brought his head down to her chest in one of the most intimate embraces they had shared. It was comforting. It was warm. It was what he needed. She saw past his display for the rest of the world, past the suit, and she had never really turned away from him, even if they had their disagreements.

"Pepper," he mumbled into her shirt.

Though he enjoyed the placement of his head, he knew he couldn't stand like that forever.

"Thank you," she whispered, trying not to get emotional.

Tony closed his eyes again and gave into her hold on him for a last moment, pressing his forehead against her clothing. He breathed in her scent, trying to ignore the masked tint the blood added to it. When he landed back on his property, he had no idea if she would still be talking to him after finding the place destroyed.

Finally he pulled back and looked into her light blue eyes again.

"You're all I have," he reminded her with the same, sheepish look he had given her several months ago when she had helped him replace the original arc. Then, something inside of him just went off. "Pepper, I don't know how to do this. I mean, I'm me and I know how to do a lot... " he added with a cocky smirk. "I guess what I mean is, this stuff...this is new to me, and I-"

"You're doing the 'I' thing again," Pepper groaned, remembering his previous rant in her office at Stark Industries just a few days prior to the Hammer incident in Manhattan.

Tony grinned again, happy she still had that flare to her attitude, even while fighting off a near death situation.

"Let's get you to bed," he decided; it was easier than trying to figure out what the hell he was actually trying to say. "Jarvis, you can put the workshop on lockdown as well once we're done here," he called out, instructing the AI to increase security measures overnight.

"Lockdown?" Pepper repeated, sounding nervous.

"It's a long story...we'll talk about it tomorrow. Coulson can tell you all about it once his snarky ass gets back."

"Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black," Potts mused, tossing her own smirk at Tony.

Truthfully, Pepper had forgotten all about Coulson. She knew Romanoff had called for him, but she was out before he had arrived. She didn't dare ask how long she had been unconscious for, but judging by how late in the evening it was when she had called Natasha in the first place, it was probably pretty late. She sighed, realizing she didn't have anything to do for the next few days, anyway...not until she could function on her own.

"What about the company?" she asked; who would be taking her place?

"Uh..." Tony managed, thinking. "Happy'll have it on lockdown, too. He can head security there until you're back on your feet. Anything else we can operate from here...right Jar?"

"Precisely," the bot confirmed.

She faked a smile in agreement.

"Good. Let's get you upstairs."

Before Pepper could react, she found herself in Tony's grasp. He picked her up bridal style, careful not to irritate her leg, and easily shifted through the broken glass on the floor towards the stairs.

"This better be cleaned up by morning or I'm taking you to the high school!" Stark ordered Dum-E as he passed the bot who was working on where Pepper had been lying on the floor - he dipped his forked head in sorrow at Tony's demands.

Poor thing, Pepper thought with a grin as she buried her head in Tony's neck; he smelled like concrete and sweat, but almost like wood and spice at the same time. She felt him tense up at the feeling of her breath on his skin, but he didn't mention it.

Once they made their way through the dark upstairs, Tony carefully entered his bedroom - the same room they had slept in before - and sat Pepper down on the soft, white blankets. He made a note to have them replaced; he had the money, so if any blood managed to get on them, it wouldn't really bother him.

The red head inhaled sharply as she felt the sting of her leg swell through her body as he released her, making Tony frown again. Instructing her to stay put, he made his way to the bathroom and wet a towel down with some warm water.

As he did so, Stark glanced up into the mirror. He was disgusted by his appearance, but i wasn't the worst shape he'd been in; it was nothing compared to Afghanistan. He decided to quickly wash his own face after ringing out the towel. Then, once he was dry, he tugged off the blood stained dress shirt and tossed it in the trash can next to the toilet; he had more where that one came from. The arc reactor glowed, embedded in his skin, reminding him how damn glad he was that his prototype had worked properly and saved Pepper.

Picking up the damp towel, Tony returned to Pepper, who was still sitting where he left her. She had put her hair back up using a spare hair tie from her blouse pocket, making herself more comfortable. It was a messy bun, but it would do. Tony blinked as he realized how good she looked in casual.

He crouched before her once he made his way back to the side of the bed and lightly dabbed the towel at her head in an attempt to wipe off some of the debris she had dusted around her face. He felt her eyes burn through his bare chest but shrugged it off. Then, he looked towards her ripped skirt and frowned.

"It's okay," she whispered, knowing what he was thinking.

Without speaking, Tony smiled softly at her and helped her undress; he did his best to keep himself under control, despite wanting to do absolutely everything to her stunning, slim figure.

When she struggled to lift her blouse off her shoulders, Tony leaned in and grabbed it from behind her back. He swallowed, realizing how close their faces were, and watched as her eyes blink up to look at his. For a moment, he gazed at her lips, but didn't act on anything. He cleared his mind and inhaled sharply before looking back down to finish tearing her skirt up the edge. It fell against the bed underneath her; he'd kick it out o the way later.

Pepper shifted uncomfortably in her bra and underwear, but didn't speak about it. Instead, she sat quietly as a blush spread across her cheeks and cleared her throat when she caught Tony staring.

"Sorry," he breathed, making her chuckled.

"You're getting soft," she told him quietly; it was the second time he had use the word sorry in just a few days.

He smirked and his eyebrow raised as he coughed down his reaction. "Trust me...I've never been further from the word..."

Her eyes scolded him for his tease, but she only held her smile in reply. She was forcing him to continue dabbing, trying to pick up the blood that was left around her thigh so she'd be comfortable enough to finally lay down and rest. When he finished, he faked another smile and stood, tossing the towel into the bathroom to lie on the floor next to the bin with his ruined shirt.

"Come on," he instructed, helping her swing up legs onto the mattress and lie back.

Tony draped one of the blankets over her from the end of the bed to tuck her in. She looked comfortable...and content, her small frame sinking into his king sized bed.

"I'll uh..." he started, not sure of what his plans were. He was exhausted, but he should give her some space, right? "I guess I'll be on the couch. You know. Just...if you need anything."

"Tony!" she gasped, giggling at his reaction. "This is your bed."

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"I want you-"

He sighed, thanking the heavens, and interrupted her before she could finish.

"I want you too," he told her, his voice heavy.

"-to stay..." she finished, suddenly aware of the awkward tension he had applied to the room.

"To stay...in the bed...right," he managed, embarrassment flooding over him.

If anyone could make Tony Stark embarrassed, it was miss Pepper Potts, that was for sure. He made his way around the bed, shame heavy on his back, and carefully settled himself into the bed next to her.

Great, he thought with a silent groan. Now this is weird.

"Not weird," Pepper snickered, as though reading his mind.

Damn, she was good. He let his shoulders relax a little and pulled up a pillow behind his head. His eyes stared at the ceiling, unsure of what to do or say; if they could, they would've burned a hole in it by now...but he had done enough damage to his house lately so he was grateful they couldn't.

"It's a little weird," Stark told her, playing on the awkward silence that passed since her comment.

He turned his head towards her to find her eyes light with humour. That put a smirk on his face.

"It's not," she answered.

"It is."

Pepper stayed calm. "You're making it weird."

Tony gave her a familiar, genuine grin and she watched as his eyes wrinkled at the sides when his lips pulled up, revealing his perfect teeth. She knew his face well...almost too well.

"I could use some water..." she whispered, trying to reset the mood.

"Water. Right. Good call," he agreed, rushing to get out of the uncomfortable mess of a bed.

Stark grabbed a chilled bottle from the mini fridge she had put into his bathroom as a precaution for when he got himself drunk and needed a hangover cure. Now, he saw why it was a good idea.

Twisting the cap off, he brought it back and handed it to her as she pushed herself up to take a sip.

"Good?" Tony asked.

She nodded and he took it back, replacing the cap. Then, he left it on the side table beside her and climbed back into his own side, relieved the tension had let up a little.

As he settled back in, Pepper grimaced as she tried to lift herself back up to lie back down on the mattress. Making it apparent that she needed help, Tony rolled over and held his arm under her back to help her get comfortable as the other pressed into the blankets on the other side of her, holding his body above hers. She thanked him, but when he turned to lay on his other side, she grabbed his arm and kept him in place.

"Stay," she repeated, her tired eyes smiling up at him.

Swallowing, Stark agreed. He let his body fall into the bed, but held her close with one arm. His face rested along her neckline naturally, leaving her shivering each time his warm breath hit her skin. They stayed like that for more than a few moments, watching the glow of the arc light up the room.

"You scared me, Pep," he whispered, finally breaking the new silence.

"Me?" she asked, stunned. "You hung up on me. Three times!" she accused. "And then that...that, whatever he was, tells me you're dead and... Don't you ever, ever, ever, ever do that to me again!" she finally finished.

After realizing she had taken out her internal frustrations on him, Pepper felt guilty. She waited for a response, but nothing came. Instead, she felt his grip tighten and a soft, warm kiss planted on her neck.

Pepper was lost in thought, leaving room for Tony to continue pleading with her.

"You gotta help me with this, Pep," he told her sincerely. "I don't know what I'm doing."

She could feel his confliction through his voice; she didn't have to look at him to realize how he was feeling. The great Tony Stark had broken down in front of her, like she had seen so many times before. But now, he was her Tony. Nothing mattered anymore; whatever happened between them in the past few weeks didn't change things; everything would be different now, regardless.

After a long while, she realized he had begun to fall asleep due to her lack of response, but she didn't blame him. She felt his breathing begin to get heavier as she continued to fight herself in her mind. She didn't know how to help...he was Iron Man. His life was much more complicated than hers. Could she handle it?

Pepper smiled as she thought about how dramatically things had developed in the last few months. Then, she found herself tracing her thumb across the back of his hand that reached over her, gently tickling his skin. She sighed, finally letting sleep consume her, as well; this was okay. She was content.


	8. Vacation

Since Tony had put Jarvis into lockdown mode, he had no alarms set to wake the two at 7am - Tony's usual wake up call time. When the AI finally decided to open the windows and let the bright Malibu sunlight pour into the bedroom, Pepper began to stir. It had been a long night, so she had slept like a rock.

As she shifted and her mind woke up, she became more aware of her situation. The pain in her leg came shooting back up her side, reminding her of what happened the night before. She stared up at the ceiling and winced; she didn't want to turn over in case it pulled at the bandage, but she couldn't, either. Tony's head was using her chest as a pillow, despite the pile of three spare cushions behind his body. Pepper's lips curved up into a smile as she analyzed him; he was snoring slightly, his mouth thinly open, and he was curled up on his side with his knees brushing her leg. It was completely new to her; she had seen him this way, with the sheets tangled up around his bare ass, on many occasions...but even now, just in his pajama bottoms, he seemed like an entirely different person. The sarcastic, narcissistic playboy was still there, but there was something more...heart.

It was then, while she was studying him, that she noticed his state. He had blood smeared along his fingernails and his jawline; probably hers. A cut was trailed along his lip and his forehead, which she noticed the night before. The arm that was lying across her stomach was burned from her attempted attack with the repulsor, and his hand seemed in pretty bad shape as well; he must have patched up a prior wound, as it was bound by medical tape around the knuckles. She traced the tape with her index finger, frowning. He looked so tough during the days, even if he was in a mood, but while he was asleep, he looked almost...fragile. Pepper felt her heart ache as she realized she'd never fully be able to help him. He'd come home looking worse than this and there would be nothing she could do. She loved his change of soul and his dedication to Iron Man, but she hated it at the same time.

Maybe it was the pain or maybe she realized how much she actually cared, but Pepper caught herself trying to choke down the burning in her throat; she couldn't cry in front of Tony, asleep or not. She could silently blame herself for it all if she wanted, but she couldn't let him find out. She lifted his hand in hers and kissed the bandage over his hand lightly, mentally trying to calm herself back down.

Tony shifted quietly and grunted, groggily waking up and shooting his chocolate puppy eyes up at Pepper from her chest. He smiled as he woke up to her; probably something he hadn't done with a woman in a very long time, if ever.

"Morning," he greeted, his voice low and raspy.

He grinned at her, waiting for a response, but his lips quickly turned down as he saw her blink profusely to try to hide the sadness on her face. He was instantly concerned and propped himself up on his elbow to look her over.

"What's wrong?" he asked, nervous.

She faked a smile. "Nothing. Just hurts."

He nodded slightly, but it was obvious she was lying. Tapping the arc reactor lightly, he thought about what to say to probe it out of her.

"Want some Tylenol?" he asked as a way to buy time.

"I'm hurt but I'm not helpless, Tony," she managed out.

"Right... Uh...how about breakfast?" he asked next.

Pepper rose an eyebrow at him. "You don't do this often, do you?" she teased.

"What?" Tony asked, grinning again.

He interlaced his fingers with hers and looked at her hand as he rubbed his thumb across the back. She had smooth hands; still as petite as he remembered.

Instead of answering, Pepper just stared at their hands. It was both shocking and wonderful; she always wondered how they would compare to hers. He was a guy, so naturally they were bigger than hers, but she expected them to be rougher than they felt. Despite having to work for Tony for so long, there were still things she had never had to do, and holding his hand was one of them.

Tony analyzed her as her eyes fell back on the bandage; he would have to explain everything to her at some point.

"Rhodey had to patch me up," he told her softly, reading her mind.

Her face twitched, but she didn't speak. She looked serious again, like she was fighting herself with something. He had only seen her cry twice, for her own personal reasons, but it had been many, many years since then. Still, Stark knew Pepper more than she thought; she wasn't exactly good at hiding her emotions.

"Pepper?" he questioned, looking back up at her.

The red head frowned, sitting herself up a little. Okay, she could do that without wanting to scream in pain; maybe it would be a quick recovery.

"I'm so sorry, Tony," she breathed, staring at their hands still. "If it wasn't for me-"

"Stop," he ordered.

Pepper looked towards him after a moment of hesitation and studied his brown eyes. They were darker than usual; had she hurt him? Worry was plastered all across his face as she felt that familiar sting in her heart; God, this was weird. She never felt this way about her boss before, even if she maybe, sort of liked him since before the accident.

"Don't you ever, ever, leave like that again," she pleaded in a whisper, her eyes smoldering into his. "Please."

His eyebrows pressed together and he continued to analyze her with concern as she continued rubbing her thumb along his skin.

"I can't do another three months," she told him honestly, reminding him of Afghanistan.

Tony felt his heart break; he knew she had been lying about why she was crying when he had returned. He remembered stepping down the walkway from the aircraft after they landed, only to see her standing there waiting, her eyes lit up and puffy.

"Your eyes are red," he commented as he approached his assistant.

Pepper had her hair up loosely; she looked frailer than he remembered, and her eyes had red edges to them; she didn't hide it well. Truthfully, he was glad to see someone cared.  
"A few tears for your long-lost boss?"  
She smiled, biting her lip as she finally heard his voice again. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting."  
Noting the publicity around his return, he decided to play it safe and immediately jumped into business.

"Yeah, vacation's over."  
He followed Pepper and boarded the car that was waiting to take them away from the paparazzi and his reminder of what the rest of the world was up to while he was being held captive.

"Where to, sir?" Happy called from the front seat, catching Stark's attention.  
"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy," he heard Pepper answer from his side.

He was too busy looking out the window to come up with a decent answer, so he went with "no".  
"No?" Pepper was annoyed. "Tony, you have to go to the hospital."  
"No is a complete answer," he countered.  
Pepper looked over at him, her phone still being held with both hands in front of her. "The doctor has to look at you."  
"I don't have to do anything," he answered matter-of-factly. "I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger," he told her. Then, he let a dramatic pause pass before adding, "and the other..."  
Pepper groaned in disgust and rolled her eyes; it didn't take her long to get frustrated with him.

"That's enough of that," she decided and went back to her phone.  
Stark smirked from behind his glasses. "...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."  
"Call for a press conference?" she repeated, stunned.  
"Yeah."  
"What on earth for?"  
"Hogan, drive," he requested, ignoring Pepper. "Cheeseburger first," he specified, even though all he really wanted was to go home, hug Pepper until he remembered why they didn't usually hug, and sleep.

That time, Pepper had made it obvious she missed him. He knew that must have killed her; all of a sudden he was up and gone, and to be truthful, they spent so much time together it was probably like losing a family member for her. She didn't have many close relatives or friends left...so she must have figured she was alone. He had ditched her and she was been attacked the night prior, and he assumed she had felt all of those same things again as she tried to defend his workshop. Pepper was a strong one, but she had been through a lot.

Instead of giving her a promise he didn't know if he could commit to, he pulled her into his chest carefully and kissed her forehead. Tony breathed in her scent, remembering what it was like when he first got back from being captured. He felt comforted then, but this time, it was something else.

Pepper looked at the arc reactor glowing in front of her face and squeezed her eyes shut. She was Pepper Potts, and she was CEO of Stark Industries and still somewhat assistant to Tony Stark; she was strong, she was rational, and she was...

"This stress is gonna kill me...if I don't get killed by Iron Man first." She swallowed and exhaled. "I can't stand you being in danger like this... I mean, what if you didn't come home? One day you're not gonna make it out of one of these situations and I'm gonna have to clean up the mess, and find a new job, and-"

"I love you."

It was a whisper, but it was loud enough for her to hear. Instantly, her body tensed and even though she didn't let her go from their embrace, she felt her heart race as she panicked. Was it just to shut her up? Honestly, she just had to say what she did while she still could, but had she just indicated something more to Stark? No. Tony Stark didn't say those words...did he?

After a moment, she bit her lip nervously and pulled out of his hug.

"What?" Pepper asked quietly, almost afraid to look at him.

When she finally found her courage, she brought her eyes up to meet his. He was already staring at her, a very serious look on his face. She had no idea what his beautiful mind was thinking, and for once, she couldn't read his poker face.

He swallowed audibly, but never moved his eyes from hers.

"Pepper?" he finally let out.

Pepper opened her mouth to try to find words but they wouldn't come. What should her reaction be? Should she lie and say something else? He was waiting, and she was rushing to figure out what to do.

"You're not drunk," was all she could come up with as she wracked her brain for something else, making him chuckle.

She was still thinking, but she didn't have to for long. Tony glanced down at her lips briefly, and before she could react, his were on hers, pressing against them warmly. He kissed her gently and softly, genuinely caring for her instead of tossing all of his lust into the touch. It was, what Pepper thought could've been, their missed kiss from the benefit the year before.

She waited until he pulled away to breathe. Something fluttered in her heart, reminding her she was kissing Tony Stark; her boss, her friend, and...the famous billionaire. Somehow even though they were basically family at this point, their romance was still shocking to her.

She felt her breath come in roughly and she fought to catch it; it was mostly nerves. Her blue eyes blinked open again after their momentary close while they kissed and she slowly looked up into his own. He was more readable since she had first told him; his eyes were lighter, and they danced with amusement at her breathlessness, and he was noticeably less tense.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told her in a whisper. Then, he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and his eyes danced across her expression. "It's you, Pepper. It's always been you," he admitted, repeating what he had told her the day he made her CEO.

Her shoulders slumped as she fought to come up with something smarter than her little observation. Had he just committed to her? Were they actually defining things? She didn't expect him to say the words, but this was definitely a big step past the womanizing Tony Stark she knew. Slowly, a broad smile crept onto her lips and she did her best to hug him again without pushing herself to move too much.

"I love you, too," she spoke into his shoulder.

"Who wouldn't? I'm awesome," he retorted, being his usual, snarky self.

She felt him grin again, but then he tightened his hold on her as his lips pressed against her neck, sending chills down her body to her limp leg. He wasn't out of surprises yet.

"You know I always have, Miss Potts," he told her.

Pepper's eyes closed again, this time with joy overwhelming her body.

"Oh my God, I'm in love with my boss," she whined with a teasing tone.

Stark's lips curved up in a smirk against her skin, his breath still hot on her neck. She blushed, realizing they would probably sit there like that forever unless she decided to get him out of bed.

"Tony?" she asked from over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Can we have breakfast now?"

He snickered at her questioned, but agreed. "First let me get you some crutches. Jarvis should be able to print something up if I don't have a spare set lying around here somewhere..."

 

 

Tony had committed to taking a shower first and foremost, wanting to wash every bit of blood off of his body. The cuts on his face still stood out, and his hand and arm burned with their injuries, but it could be worse. He knew they would heal in time, and he was more concerned about Pepper. Tugging his pajama bottoms back on, he made his way back out to his bedroom and smiled as he tapped the arc; that was becoming a habit of his as of late.

Pepper looked up from her phone; she had Tony fetch it, along with a set of crutches so she could try walking on her own, before grabbing his shower. Her face instantly flushed. Yes, he had slept without his shirt, but now, after they had finally put their feelings on the table, something was different about it. She took in his toned, strong shoulders with her eyes, then let them wander down his slim cut torso and...

"Like what ya see?" Tony teased, smirking at the red head.

Pepper swallowed; she was caught. "I was just-" she began, trying to come up with an excuse.

Tony beat her to it. "Just checking your incredibly hot boss out?"

"Tony..." she scolded, rolling her eyes at him and setting the phone down.

"Wait, do you find Iron Man sexy?" he asked, grinning as he picked up one of the gauntlets he had brought up from the workshop with him.

"What on Earth is that doing up here?" she asked, almost disgusted.

"You didn't answer my question."

Tony flexed the hand as he twisted the half arm around and held out the palm in his traditional pose. He closed one eye and focused on the table next to his side of the bed and pretended to fire.

"Don't you even think about putting another hole in this place," Pepper warned in her monotone voice; it was her angry voice.

The smirk returned to Tony's face as he stood up straight again to go back to inspecting the arm piece. He wasn't planning on igniting it in the bedroom, but he did want to teach Pepper a thing or two about how to use it...just in case anything like this ever happened in the future.

"What about teachers?" he asked, continuing his banter. "I thought we could have a lesson."

"I'm not using that thing." Her attention was back on her phone.

"I wasn't talking about the suit," he chuckled. "Come on, Pep. It's for science."

"Everything you do is for science," she mocked. "It's kind of your job."

"And safety," he continued, ignoring her again.

Stark frowned and went to remove the glove, but then heard a noise coming from outside the room. Instantly, he saw Pepper tense up and he made his way to her bedside, charging up the repulsor on his hand. He held out his arm and extended his free one across her body in a protective stance and faced the door, ready to shoot at whatever it was.

"What was that?" she whispered, suddenly terrified of something else happening.

Tony held up a finger to tell her to keep quiet and tiptoed into the hallway and towards the staircase. He kept his footing light as he wandered down the stairs and entered the open kitchen area. Someone was rooting through his fridge.

"Rhodey?" he questioned, recognizing the slim, tall figure when he stood up and turned around with a drink in his hand.

Tony kept his glove up; he couldn't let his guard down.

"What are you doing here? Jarvis, why aren't we still on lockdown?"

"We are, sir," the AI echoed.

Rhodey set the glass down and raised both hands in the air as he realized Tony was ready to charge him.

"Hey. Tony, it's just me."

"Yeah, I've heard that a lot lately," Stark answered with a hard tone to his voice. "How'd you get in?"

"You might want to drop your weapon, Mr Stark," a female voice sounded behind him.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Romanoff."

"Miss me?" she asked, pressing the end of a cool, metallic gun to the back of Tony's neck.

"Not particularly."

Tony's body tensed up but he lowered his arm and moved his fingers to turn off the repulsor and put it into rest mode. Then, he glanced back at Rhodey.

"How do we know you're really Tony?" his friend asked, lowering his hands now that Tony had relaxed on the attack thanks to Natasha.

"Hey. I'm one of the good guys here," Stark replied innocently.

"Good guys usually wear shirts," Rhodey told him.

Stark grinned. "Do they, though?"

He brushed off the humour quickly and held up his bandaged hand for them to see to prove that he was the same one to come from their location in DC. If they were also the real versions of themselves, they would understand.

Unfortunately, the last thing he wanted to interrupt them did. He heard the uneven ping of metal on the marble floors and groaned internally.

"Tony?" the very familiar voice called from the top of the staircase.

"Pepper-" Stark tried, realizing how bad their situation looked. "I'm handling it."

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, her jaw dropping at the scene.

With heavy annoyance, Stark snapped at his company. "Is the gun really still necessary?"

Slowly, he felt it being lifted off the back of his neck and he relaxed his shoulders and turned around to greet Natasha. He shot her a glare and rubbed the back of his neck where the metal had chilled him. Then, he looked up at Pepper who had yet another terrified expression across her face as she tried to support herself in the new walking aids. Thankfully, she had since changed into a pair of shorts and one of his button down shirts, which hung loosely over her shoulders.

"Uh, sweetheart," he managed, not knowing how to handle everything that was happening at once. "How about you just stay there for a sec and-"

"Natasha?!" she asked, stopping Tony in his ramble.

"Sorry I'm late," Romanoff answered, smiling.

She replaced the gun back into her leg holster and made her way up the stairs to support Pepper's weight and get her down them.

"We should really extend that elevator," Tony muttered as he watched Pepper swing her arm over Nat's shoulder.

"Sweetheart?" Rhodey mocked, snickering at his friend as the girls made their way back to them.

Tony glared at him. "You can make jokes after you tell me how you got in here."

"You think S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't figured out how to break into the great Stark Mansion yet?" Romanoff asked once Pepper was back on solid floor and supported on her crutches.

Tony frowned as he watched Pepper hobble towards them; she had the hang of it, but it would be a few days before he trusted her to put weight on her injured leg, and until then, each click of a crutch reminded him what had happened while he was gone.

"Coulson prepped us on our way over," Romanoff continued. "Fury's handling the background check and tracking that suit. Until then, we're on security detail."

"They let you on leave for this?" Stark smirked, glancing at Rhodey.

"I can stop helping you at any time, Tony," Rhodes warned.

"Is that when I get the suit back?"

"Oh, you mean the suit that just saved your ass?"

"Boys..." Nat muttered under her breath as she helped Pepper up and into one of the stools at the island.

"You're telling me," Pepper joked, keeping her mood light hearted.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at his new interest and removed the glove from his hand. Then, he set it on the table and made his way behind the counter to grab some coffee. He tried desperately to remember which buttons Happy had pushed the last time they used the machine, and eventually succeeded with Rhodey's help. Finally, he pushed a small glass towards Pepper as he walked back around her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You look good in my clothes," he whispered into her ear, his goatee scratching at her skin.

She instantly blushed, but drank her espresso and tried to ignore him even though his hand left her skin hot and electrified as it rested on her shoulder.

Natasha cleared her throat, tilted her head, and let her lips raise in a smile as she looked at Pepper, waiting for an explanation.

"Right..." Rhodey finally interrupted, reading the awkward tension in the air. "I was wrong; this is weirder than the grape."

"The grape?" Romanoff repeated.

"Long story. He'll tell it at a party sometime," Tony announced, deciding he was ready to move on. "So what now?"

"We wait," Nat answered easily.

"Great, something I'm good at," Tony replied with sarcasm dripping from his words.

"They're gonna expect a statement," Rhodey chimed in. "If you two are holed up in the house like this..."

"Especially Pepper," Natasha agreed. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she leaned towards the girl, giving the red head more attention than they had previously given.

"Better." Pepper smiled, hugging her now empty cup, and looked up at Tony behind her. "Tony patched me up."

"Do me a favor and stay off that leg as much as possible," Natasha requested; even though she didn't learn the details yet, it looked ugly.

"Don't worry, I've been under heavy supervision all night."

Tony gave a triumphant crack of his jaw and squeezed her shoulder once with his rested hand. Then, he downed the rest of his espresso shot and leaned between the girls to set the glass on the island counter.

"I'll need the rest of those tapes you have," Romanoff informed, trying to change the subject.

"Already had Jarvis make a copy," Stark replied, pleased with himself.

He handed the agent a small flash drive from his pocket of his pajama pants and grinned.

"Do me a favor, Stark, and consider this a couple day vacation. Stay out of the public eye. Rhodey'll be here to keep an eye on you."

His face lit up and he smirked suggestively back at Pepper, who blushed and glared at him in return.

"Thanks, Nat," she told her friend sincerely.

To be honest, Tony had briefly explained who Natasha was, but she was so used to calling her Natalie that it was easier just to shorten it. She'd been trying to get accustomed to it, but everything about the Avengers idea still didn't really make sense to her. She couldn't see Tony Stark labeled as a 'superhero'. Ever.

They watched Natasha up and leave to take the video data back to S.H.I.E.L.D. before Tony commented on the fact that Rhodey would be staying with them for a few days. He turned to his friend, blinking quickly.

"So. You can take the first guest room if you want," he told Rhodes.

Rhodey folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that Pepper's room?"

Pepper's blush deepened as she slid off the stool and leaned back against the island counter to support herself while avoiding the crutches for a little bit.

"Was," Tony replied, watching her protectively. "Unless you wanna join us in my-"

"Nope. No, I'm good," Rhodes surrendered, his hands held back up as he shook his head. "Forget I asked. So, uh...you got plans, or...?"

"I don't remember the last time I had a day off..." Pepper mumbled, looking at the ground.

Tony shot her a confused look and answered swiftly. "Uh. About a year ago. You had three months off."

Lifting her head to glare at him, Pepper grabbed her crutches and made her way back towards the stairs, determined to make it back up them successfully. She didn't bother to say goodbye to either of the men.

"Pep," Tony whined, holding out a hand after her. "Pepper. Hey, come on!"

Rhodey shot Stark a look, as if to question his intelligence, and then made a trip over to Potts to help her back up and toward bed. She felt weird being carried back to Tony's room so often, but then again, it was beginning to be their room. Perhaps she should get used to it.

"I'll uh, I'll be downstairs..." Tony muttered to himself.

He grabbed the arm piece off the counter, leaving the dirty cups in their place, and took to the workshop in hopes to clean it up and make it so neither of them ever had to think about Pepper's accident again.

 

 

For having a day off, it turned out to be a pretty boring one for Pepper. She was used to running around or worrying about what Tony was up to and cleaning up the house, but the entire day was instead spent sitting up in bed, alone with her cell phone. Rhodey had spent about an hour talking with her, specifically avoiding anything to do with her relationship with Tony, and then left to her office for a while to try and help Happy out with some Stark Industries issues. She begged him to let her help, but he insisted she take a break for a day or two and locked himself in.

Finally, when her phone died around seven in the evening, she decided to ask Jarvis how Tony was doing. Truthfully, she felt bad about leaving, but she had basically poured her heart out about everything since Afghanistan and hated him for bringing it back up.

"Jarvis?" she asked, her voice cracking after being quiet for so long.

"Hello, Miss Potts," the AI greeted in return.

She smiled, loving how familiar the house had become with her presence. It really was her home anymore...more so than the small apartment she had rented for the nights Tony didn't require her to stay up.

"What's Tony up to?" she asked after a moment.

"At this moment, Mr Stark is rewatching video footage I recorded for him."

She frowned, guessing it was from her attack. Making a quick decision and noting Rhodey was still down the hall in the office, she pulled herself out of bed, only using one crutch this time; she was starting to feel better and had tightened the bandage on her leg a little earlier when she had asked the Colonel to fetch her some fruit to snack on.

Carefully, Pepper found her footing as she clenched onto the banister on the way down the winding stairs, making sure not to put too much weight on her injured leg. Taking her right steps with one crutch helped, and she tried to ignore what was left of the burning pain.

After she made it to the main floor, she heaved a sigh of relief and slowly advanced toward the elevator to take it the rest of the way so she could regain some energy; walking on one leg was tough and left her a little out of breath.

When the doors opened, she approached the workshop; the glass was now cleaned up, but it still needed replaced on the walls. Sighing, Pepper grabbed onto one of the support beams and stumbled over the last step into the room. She decided not to call out to Tony, just in case he was trying to avoid her after her run away attempt earlier. Instead, she peeked around the corner quietly and found him with his hands spread over his face so just his eyes could watch the displayed screen in front of him as he rested his weight on his elbows. He was seated at the same table she had been laid out on the prior day, obviously not ready to let it go.

She slowly managed to make her way through the now spotless room, despite the lack of glass, but didn't interrupt him. He wasn't watching the footage from the attack, however. As she moved up behind him, she noticed he was focused on a clip from when she had helped him change out his arc reactor before the fight with Obadiah. There was no audio overlapping it; he must have asked Jarvis to mute it all.

Pepper watched with a slight smile curving at her lips as she freaked out after clipping in the new arc, her hands outstretched and covered with goo. She was laughing, but she remembered still being very frustrated with him that day, even if he was finally home. Then, his face appeared more serious ands he remembered him telling her what he had repeated earlier that day; she was all he had.

She lost her smile and focused on Tony as he sighed and lifted his head again.

"Okay, Jar," he muttered. "Thanks. I needed that." He sat back in his seat. "Now, play the clip again."

This time, it was the attack. Pepper winced as if she was stabbed in her thigh again as she watched her body being flung across the room and into the glass cases. He had been so proud of her for attempting to defend the place, but in reality, she barely even charged the repulsor. He should be disappointed in her instead.

As soon as she saw herself inspect the piece of glass in her leg and the blood pooling around her bottom, Tony stood and cleared the table of it's tools with his arm in a sudden fit of fury. He let out a little growl in unison, displaying his frustrations and making Pepper gasp a little and jump in her skin; she wasn't expecting that. He must have heard her, for he hid his face and clenched his fists tightly, trying to ride out the moment of anger.

"Sorry..." he muttered, his voice heavy.

That was yet another apology in the last two days.

"Tony..." Pepper whispered, taking her final steps toward him to comfort him.

As she did, he turned his chair to her, his eyebrows furrowed together and his eyes clouded and conflicted. He unclenched his fists and finally looked up at the scared girl.

"I'll clean it up later," he promised, glancing at the mess he made.

Pepper frowned but took him in her arms, just as she had the night before. She cradled his head and waited for him to calm down a little, and when she felt his arms eventually run up her back and to her arms, she pulled back, supporting herself on her one good leg; the other was beginning to burn.

Tony forced a smile as he held onto her arms to help her stand and looked up at her with his puppy dog eyes. They were their normal color of brown again, unclouded and clear.

"You should be in bed," he scolded.

She frowned. "You shouldn't be continuously attacking your house."

He ignored her and suddenly became concerned as he looked around. "Did Rhodey help you down here?" he asked.

She shook her head. "He's helping Happy from the office."

Tony faked a loud gasp in shock. "And you haven't barged in there to take over yet?!"

She patted him lightly on the head with a smirk. "I just needed some time alone," she confided after a pause.

"Right. I know. I suck at this stuff," Stark agreed, standing up to meet her height and relieve her of some of her weight on her leg. "Relationships and whatever. It's been a while since I've had a girlfriend."

Pepper cocked an eyebrow and stared over at him next to her, as if challenging what he just said.

"Or...special friend...?" Tony altered, wondering why that didn't sound any better than the first one he had gone with.

Pepper couldn't contain herself. She softened her glare and her lips curved up in the slightest; she was tired, but she was still glad he was home with her, and at least for a night, they had nowhere to be.

"Stick to the first one," she offered.

His face widened with a silly grin and he leaned into her to nuzzle his nose into her shoulder. "Miss Potts, are you agreeing to be my girlfriend?" he asked like a teenage boy.

She rolled her eyes behind his embrace, but was entertained. "Don't get cocky, Mr Stark. I'm not sure you even know what that entails."

He hummed into her skin, turning to plant a kiss on her neck. "I think it actually does require me to 'get cocky'."

"That was terrible," she teased, letting out a small chuckle.

Pepper felt Tony smile against her skin, but her heart skipped when he let his shoulders slump and pulled back from her to stand upright. He looked sad again, and it killed her.

"We have to change that," Tony told her, looking at her bandage on her leg.

She turned her attention to it with another frown and nodded. "Yeah. I tried earlier but I...might need your help."

"Then let's get you upstairs," he decided. "And tomorrow I'm knocking a hole in the floor again, but this time we're extending that elevator," Stark added.

Pepper sighed, knowing he'd do it even if she said no, and remained silent as Tony swooped her arm around his neck and walked them towards the elevator to take back to the main floor. One he had her at the base of the stairs, he told her to balance herself as he picked her up in his arms again; a perk of being Iron Man? Being able to lift petite women.

Pepper blushed as he set her back down, like the night before, at the edge of the bed and lightly traced his fingers over the edge of the bandage. When she noticeably caught her breath, he smirked and began unwrapping it. He could feel the heat radiating from her skin as she blushed and he knew their new relationship was going to be a good, fun idea.

"It definitely looks better," Tony confirmed after letting the air hit her cut. "Not as deep as I thought it was."

She swallowed, knowing he was right; had he been there sooner, she probably wouldn't have passed out, but it was what it was. He had come back just in time, though after an hour of bleeding out onto his floor, her consciousness had slowly faded into nothing.

Tony ran his fingers over the open skin before grabbing a new wrap from the bedside table and applying it. It had stopped bleeding, thankfully, so if she kept pressure off of it, it would heal enough for her to be walking in a few days, so long as she ditched her heels for a while.

"All good," Tony told her, smiling a crooked smile as he looked up at her warmly.

"Thank you, Mr Stark."

Pepper looked happy; embarrassed, but happy. What was going on with her? She was so...different, so kind, since their talk that morning. It wasn't a bad thing, but he hadn't ever seen her expose herself as she was with him. He kind of liked it, to be completely honest. It was new to him; his other girls were all confident, and they knew what they were doing, but with Pepper...it was real. She was human, and she genuinely cared about him.

After a few more moments of silence passed, Tony realized he had kept his eyes on Pepper's the whole time. She had bit her lip softly, waiting for him to either move away or say something more. He analyzed her for a second, wondering what she was thinking, and then brought himself up to crouch in front of her. He pushed a strand of her red hair that has escaped from her bun behind her ear and smiled again, taking in every inch of her face as he let his palm rest on her cheek. She was stunning, even without her usual makeup.

As he looked her over, her eyes never left his. She was looking for absolutely anything in his eyes, but they still held the sadness they did from downstairs. Had he been that worked up over what happened to her? She knew he had a heart, but she wished she knew what it was feeling sometimes...

Before she knew it, he had leaned closer into her until she felt his warm breath on her lips and it was hard to focus on him. Her eyes dropped to his own, slim lips and outlining facial hair, realizing he was so close it was tickling her ever so slightly. Her heart was racing; even though they had shared several kissed already, this one was different. He was taking his time - he was teasing her. And she liked it.

Carefully, Tony let his eyes close as he touched his lips to hers like a feather. Then, he pressed down, but didn't ask for access immediately. He let them linger on hers for a moment before pulling away just a few inches to see her reaction.

Pepper's eyes fluttered open and she didn't have to say anything; they did all the talking for her. Her hands ran up his shoulders as she pulled him in for another kiss, this one just a little less gentle than the first until he felt her grip the collar of the tshirt he had tossed on upon entering the workshop earlier, holding him in place. He took it as her plea, and pushed up on his feet so he could lean over her.

Sliding an arm around her back, Tony shifted Pepper so she could lay back as he hovered over her on the bed. She let him have access to her mouth as he deepened their kiss, but he quickly pulled away again as he situated them and propped himself up on his hands above her. She looked...almost scared, but she was breathing with excitement as she held into his shirt. Instinctively, Tony swallowed and went for her neck, trailing light kisses down to her collarbone as he pulled his dress shirt she was wearing to the side to access her skin. He felt her squirm under him and inhale sharply as he nipped.

"Tony," she whispered, finally able to talk.

He looked back up at her and kissed her quickly to stop her from going on.

"Shut up and let me love you," he instructed with some force thrown into his words.

Pepper grinned as he went back to work on her neck while he allowed one hand to unbutton the top two buttons on her shirt.

"Bu-but..." she gasped as he ran his fingers under the material. "You said to take it easy."

"Pepper!" he snapped; another order to keep quiet.

Tony brushed his hand across her breast lightly as he made for more of the buttons which left her brain numb; she let herself relax as she gave in. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head to the side to give him more access and felt him smirk against her. Then, she let her arms move up his biceps and to his shoulders, digging her nails into him as he continued down. She smiled, letting herself relax for the first time in over a year as she let it happen.


	9. Caught

"Wow."

Yup, that was all Pepper Potts could come up with as she grabbed at the sheets at her side and tried to catch her breath. She heard a chuckle come from her side and tried to suppress her own smile as Tony turned his head toward her; his hair was a sweaty mess, but no different than a usual night in the workshop would leave it.

"Yeah? You like that?" he teased, pleased with himself.

Pepper smacked him lightly and rolled her eyes. "Your ego is showing," she purred.

"That's not all," he joked before reaching over to pull himself back to hover over the red head.

Potts felt her face flush as she met his dark eyes; he smirked down at her, care shining in them. This was the Tony she had come to know since the kidnapping; the one who told her she was all he had, and the one who danced with her and kissed her on the rooftop. The one with heart, and he was completely different than the one who the public saw and the one that she was taking trash out for only a few months prior.

"What?" he breathed, his hot, minty breath tickling her face.

"Nothing..." she whispered.

It was a lie.

Truthfully, she had a million things running through her mind as she still tried to regain her normal breathing. As much as she hated to admit it, she had always wondered what her former boss was like with women. For all the girls he cycled through, she had actually never learned too much...even his snide remarks and jokes were somewhat tame in reality. And now, here she was, lying in the glow of the aftermath; she had just slept with Tony Stark. The Tony Stark. Yes, he was everything she knew him as, but he was still that boyish playboy at heart...and she liked it. He was experienced, yet teasing, he was firm, he was generous...

"Pepper?" his raspy voice interrupted her thoughts.

She blinked through her bangs and looked over his amused expression. His eyes burned playfully into her own. Had she been thinking that long? She closed her eyes momentarily and flashed her perfect teeth at him, then moved her hands up along his arms.

"I'm great," she managed, earning another laugh from Stark.

He hummed and leaned down to kiss her neck again. "There's plenty more where that came from, sweetheart," he spoke into her skin.

Pepper felt the redness creeping back onto her face as her hands gripped him tighter. After a few light kisses, he continued.

"Once you heal a little bit more, anyway."

She sighed as she felt his lips leave her skin, the cool air taking over where they had left their trail. She avoided his eyes but ran her fingers up onto his bare chest before tracing the arc at the center slowly. He inhaled sharply as she circled it, turning his attention to watch her movements.

"You're thinking," he observed quietly.

Her lips pressed together in amusement; he was definitely picking up on her cues.

"Was it... Should I not have....?" he continued, swallowing hard when she placed her palm against the arc and left it there.

"No, no," she assured him. "That was rather...unexpected, but...spectacular," she decided on, not able to wrack her brain for a more educated word.

He grinned and turned his head to place a kiss on the back of the one hand that still held onto his bicep.

"Didn't think I could live up to the name?" he murmured against it.

Pepper's smile faded instantly and she dropped her hand. Of course he would remind her she was very, very far from important to him. He had slept with hundreds of women in his years, after all. She knew that, but she was trying to forget it...hearing him mention his reputation made it too real.

"What?" Stark repeated. "There it is. That...that look again." After she was quiet in response, he continued to pry. "Pep. Hey. Come on, talk to me."

She turned away from him. "What number am I?"

"What?" His eyebrows pushed together as he tried to understand, but it quickly processed. "Hey. No. I..honestly, I don't even remember any of them. They're just...memories. Like...like scars...sort of."

"Scars?" Pepper repeated, glancing back at him with that same disgusted look.

He smirked. "Yeah. Just...pieces."

"So I'm just..." she spoke slowly, "...like a wound. Are you insinuating I'm just another check mark for your collection, Mr Stark?"

He grimaced. Last names. He was in for it if he didn't think quickly.

"No. No, Pepper, you are..." he looked down at her and ran his thumb along her cheek.

"You are naked," she observed, realization suddenly creeping over her.

He laughed a hearty laugh and shook his head, but his lack of answering only upset her further.

"I know how you are with women and that's fine, but I just expected... I don't even know. Something else," she admitted. "And now we're here, and you're...and I'm..."

He watched as she looked down and blushed, realizing his body was pressing against his good thigh. He raised an eyebrow and followed her gaze, but then wound up scanning back up to her lips.

"I just..." Pepper finally decided. "Can you just get off me so-"

He shut her up by leaning down to place another kiss on her lips, this one just as soft and caring as the one that had started their entire moment in the beginning. After she was quiet and he felt her accept it, he pulled back until he was just inches from her face, scooping her up with one arm around her back and his elbow supporting him.

"You're different, Pepper," he told her sincerely. "This - us - I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but I promise you-"

"You're a mess, Mr Stark," she whispered, brushing his hair back with one hand.

Her lips tugged up and he knew he had won.

"But I'm your mess," he hummed before going in to kiss her shoulder.

"Lucky me," Pepper giggled softly, running her hands down his back.

"Don't believe me?" he asked, smiling against her. "I can show you first hand how serious I am, Miss Potts."

She let out a little moan as his tongue roamed her collar bone and gripped onto him, realizing how happy she actually was. He wasn't lying, she could tell. He was committed, somehow, and she was the one who had tamed him. Before she could reply with anything else, the accented voice of Jarvis interrupted them and echoed through the room.

"My apologies, sir, but it seems Colonel Rhodes is looking for you," the AI informed Tony.

"I'm busy," he muttered, continuing his work on Pepper.

Regardless, Rhodey's voice was easily heard shortly after the system's warning.

"Pepper?" he called from down the hall, making Tony groan in frustration.

A knock at the door followed, and before she could warn him, the Colonel was opening the entry way to check on her.

"Hey, Pep, have you seen Tony since-"

Pepper blushed and hid her face under the sheets as Tony rolled over to his side to shoot a lopsided grin at his friend.

"Nope. Nope," Rhodey repeated, shielding his face. "I uh...dinner's ready and-"

"You made me dinner?" Stark gasped, acting shocked. "I like him," he then told Pepper. "Can we keep him?"

"Jarvis, any chance you're programmed to delete memories?" Rhodey pleaded, turning away to exit the room. "Or I might just have to gauge my eyes out..."

He exited and headed downstairs, leaving Pepper embarrassed and dumbfounded as Tony laughed from her side and pulled her into a hug and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

 

After deciding she was hungry again, Pepper insisted she and Tony reclothed before meeting their friend in the kitchen for whatever meal he had prepared. She knew Tony's kitchen well, and knew there wasn't much besides coffee, soy milk, eggs, and scotch, so she had no idea what they could possibly be walking in to. Once Tony tugged on an old Black Sabbath t-shirt and some pajama pants, Pepper insisted she wanted to get dressed and come down on her own, proving she was feeling as much better as her wound looked.

"Hey, Honey," Tony casually greeted as he hopped down the stairs toward the kitchen.

Pepper was not far behind, this time dressed in her own, old tshirt. She used the railing as a balancer, but was able to make it down slowly, with only the slightest of winces in pain.

"You made me dinner?" Stark continued. "You shouldn't have. What, did I uh, miss an anniversary or something? Birthday? It's not your birthday, is it?"

Rhodey stared at his friend as he picked up a roll and stuffed it in his mouth to tear off a bite.

"You are the best at forgetting birthdays..." Pepper sung as she rounded his body to approach the other man.

Tony smirked with a stuffed face in reply, then turned his attention to the news station on TV in the background.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed as she took in the buffet in front of them. "Is this... Did you do this all yourself?! Where did you get this food?"

"Yeah, where did you get it?" Tony mumbled, swallowing his bread. "This one keeps all the good stuff out of my kitchen."

Pepper rolled her eyes and smiled at Rhodes. "This is...spectacular, really."

"Hey!" Stark scowled. "That's me."

The girl's face lit up almost as red as her hair as she swallowed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, no. Can we not do this?" Rhodes asked with a groan.

Tony shot him a grin. "What's wrong? You wanted to join us ten minutes ago."

"That is not what that was," the Colonel snapped. "Don't make this weird."

Deciding to break up the mood for their own good, Pepper patted Rhodey on the shoulder as she went to sit in the stool that claimed her earlier.

"Thank you, Rhodey," she added.

Tony narrowed his eyes in jealousy as she ran her hand off of his shoulder. Then, he made a point to grab her a drink and steal the seat next to her before Rhodey could sit down. She noticed, giving him a small tug of the lips as she served herself some of the salad he had prepared.

"So what, are you like...Facebook official yet, or...?" Rhodes managed to ask as he picked some food off of the plates and onto one of his own.

"Well-" Potts began, letting a grin of her own out.

"Working on it," Tony cut her off. "But so, how bout you explain to me how you and Romanoff met?"

Pepper snapped her head towards Tony in annoyance, but didn't interrupt the conversation.

Rhodey raised his eyebrows, thinking. "Long story."

"War Machine stuff?"

"More or less. But I know all about the Avengers, if that's what you're asking."

"Wait, they invited you and not me?!" Stark complained, acting hurt. "And after all I've done for them."

"Not exactly."

Pepper grew more concerned with each comment as she picked at her food with her fork. "Is that why Nat's dressed like that?"

Tony shrugged and nawed at a chicken bone.

"You know they're gonna need you in New York," Rhodey commented.

Pepper dropped her fork. "New York?! What for?"

Tony ignored her, knowing it would be easier than trying to explain everything about the headquarters and the Avengers initiative. "Thinking about building a second tower in the city."

"You're moving the company to New York?" Potts questioned, obviously hurt he didn't include her in the decision making process. "When did you decide this?"

"Now."

"And you weren't gonna tell me?"

"Well I would've taken you out for omelets or something in the morning, but I hadn't gotten that far yet. We'll stay here, too. Relax about it for now."

Instead of replying, Pepper avoided her glass of water and went for his remaining scotch to ease the pain. Tony cocked an eyebrow as he chewed, surprised by her reaction. It was a lot less dramatic than he was anticipating. He didn't purposely keep secrets from her, but it had only been something he had put in the back of his mind since the award ceremony in DC.

"So uh...how's Happy?" Stark inquired, wondering about the company.

"He says things are going fine, but they're asking about you two."

Pepper frowned, zoning out when she realized Rhodey's answer was being broadcast to everyone on the planet. The TV in the sitting area was just visible from the corner of her eye, and she could see her name plastered across the banner running along the bottom of the news station. Tony's face highlighted the screen to the right of the reporter's face; she looked to be standing outside of Stark Industries.

"Pepper?" she heard Tony ask, followed by a warm hand on her knee under the counter.

"I have to make a statement," she whispered, turning her attention back to him.

"Might be a good idea," Rhodes agreed quietly.

Stark's face didn't give anything away emotionally, but Pepper still found comfort in his brown eyes. They studied her and she let them; his face was becoming more familiar than ever, and even his fine cut goatee and beard were helping to calm her down. Something about him just felt like home. When she felt his hand squeeze her knee lightly, she placed her fork down.

"I need to focus on the company, Tony," she insisted.

"And I need to focus on keeping you safe," he demanded, his answer swift and concise. "Not while that suit's still out there."

"About that," Rhodey chimed in, catching both of their eyes. "You're cleared to lift lockdown. Spoke to someone named Coulson earlier?"

"Yay, buzzkill," Tony pouted.

"Said he's got your friends en route to Germany. Something about this Avery person you mentioned having a history there. Apparently she's still a citizen."

Pepper frowned. "Avery?"

Tony turned away. "Sounds like Hammer all over again..." he muttered.

"Tony, what aren't you telling me?!" Pepper finally snapped. "You promised not to do this again."

"I don't know what's going on yet, Pepper," he said sincerely. "Just ran this girl's name from the casino."

"You know who attacked you?" she scowled, clearly beyond upset.

"Sort of."

Stark watched as she folded her napkin back up and pushed her dish forward in a finished motion. Then, she hobbled onto her feet and stabilized herself; it was getting easier to maneuver around, thank God.

"Honey..." Tony spoke, instinctively standing to attempt to help her.

She shrugged him off, holding her hand out in warning. "Thank you, Rhodey. Really, I appreciate everything you did here, but...I think I just want to go to bed. Goodnight."

Rhodey smiled in return, knowing everything was beyond confusing for the CEO. Despite her involvement in Stark Industries, she would never know the volume of information between Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. until Tony decided to properly explain everything to her, and that was not something he was getting caught up in.

Stark sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed for the bottle of scotch to refill his glass, then took a swig. He kept striking out with Pepper, despite how hard he tried. Setting down the glass, he twisted it until Rhodey made a comment and caught him off guard; he almost forgot he was there.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?" He sniffed, staring at the glass.

"Go."

Rhodey gave him a look with expectations he wasn't sure of. He faked a small smile and finished off the scotch, then stood.

"I'll take the house off lockdown in the morning," Tony decided. "Thanks, Platypus."

As Stark made his way toward the staircase to follow Pepper upstairs, he was met with Rhodes voice again. "Any idea what they want with the arc?" the Colonel asked, obviously concerned.

"A small one."

As Tony jogged up the stairs, he tried to clear his mind about the suit and the arc - if Natasha was really tracking them, they're be able to catch up in the morning. If not, he'd surely hear about something with them still on lockdown so they could sleep.

It had been a very unproductive day; he had drafted out some ideas for another tower in the back of his mind, but most of the day was spent analyzing the details on the security cameras...and trying to figure out if he really was relationship material. Something felt different; he was too consumed with Pepper...too worried about Pepper. If he was going to be honest, the thought of finding a one night stand didn't even entertain him anymore.

"Pep?" he called after winding up outside of his own bedroom door.

It was slightly opened already, so he didn't bother knocking, but pushed through anyway. The lights were dimmed and the bed was still a mess, but there was no sign of Pepper. However, there was a soothing sound coming from the bathroom; the shower was running. He had found her.

He rapped a light knock on the door and leaned against the door frame, waiting for a response.

"Pep?" he called again. "Come on, you in there?"

A long pause was produced from his question, but eventually, he heard her tired voice. "Where else would I be?" she asked.

"I dunno. Your room, I guess..."

"This is my room."

Stark, relieved, decided to press his luck and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He kept his eyes shielded with one hand to make sure she knew he wasn't just trying to pry.

"Tony..." he heard her judge, sensing a roll of the eyes.

He peeked out from between his fingers with one eye first, acting like a child. Then, he dropped his hand and tried to keep his eyes solely on her face through the steamy, glass shower wall. Pepper was leaned up against the ledge on the side away from the water, looking defeated.

"Right," he chuckled. "I, uh..." he stammered, not sure what to say, or if he could even be serious in this kind of situation. "Is this seat taken?" he asked instead, pointing to the toilet before carefully sitting on the closed lid.

That earned a laugh from her. "Shut up and get in here," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Tony agreed, eagerly rushing off of the toilet seat to the shower door.

"Tony!" Pepper squealed as he entered fully clothed. "You're gonna be soaked!"

He grinned and scooped her bare body up into a hug, keeping her seductively close. "I guess I'll be sleeping naked tonight, then," he teased.

She smacked his chest lightly and smiled warmly at him; she loved how much he'd matured in the past year, but she did miss playful Tony at times. She invited a sweet kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he smiled against her lips. When she felt him beg for access to her mouth, she pulled back and shook her head slowly.

"Easy, Mr Stark," she instructed.

He frowned, pouting, but didn't argue. The weight of his clothes was beginning to be noticeable as the water doused him, so he released her and went to tug his shirt over his head, but Pepper stopped him.

"First," she murmured shyly. "Can you take a look at this?"

He glanced down at her leg as she pushed it out to the side a step and furrowed his brow. He hadn't seen a sign of blood since unwrapping her the first time; a good sign she would be fully on her feet in another day or so.

"It looks...better," he decided.

"It stings," she complained.

He smirked. "That's because you haven't cleaned it out with water yet."

"I was hoping you could help me with that."

Stark swallowed, catching his breath as she ran her hands down his wet arms and leaned back against the ledge again. She was good at his own game, and it was killing him.

"I think I can do that," he agreed, looking back a her eyes. "But you owe me, then."

"I owe you?" she asked, stunned. "I've been walking like a flamingo the past two days because of you."

Instead of getting upset with her, Stark grinned again and leaned over her, placing his hands on the shower walls beside her.

"I know. Relax," he demanded. "I just think..."

He hovered over her ear, letting his breath warm her up and give her chills at the same time as he whispered his plans. Her face flushed as he got to the juicy details, and she inhaled sharply as she imagined exactly what he was telling her. This was the Tony she knew, and even though he was different for her, she always had found him attractive when he was trying to be seductive; he was good at it, and it worked more than he knew.

"You've got a deal, Mr Stark," Potts managed as she tried to keep her composure. "But you're going to tell me what Rhodey knows that I don't."

His shoulders slumped as he kneeled down, then cupped some water in his hands and lightly let it drizzle over her wound. He tried to stay focused on it as he thought of what to say to her about everything that had happened in the past week. How much was too much? He didn't want to upset her by keeping things to himself, but some things needed to stay with him until he figured out what was going on. Figuring out what was important, he decided to start with the casino.

"I honestly don't know who this Avery person is," he began. "Well, I do, I think. So do you."

Pepper just tilted her head and gave him her usual confusion twisted look.

"She uh, kind of attacked us the day I brought you here after hiring you."

"You remember that?" Potts asked, genuinely warmed by the memories he happened to silently carry with him.

"I might be an asshole, but I'm not forgetful," he responded, running his thumb over her wound. "She dropped a grenade in my hand, with that name plastered on it."

Tony paused for a moment, shivering as he remembered the event and how she passed his 'don't hand me things' boundary. Pepper noticed, but didn't say anything. He already had PTSD, she assumed, from seeing his own name on the Jericho bombs in Afghanistan as they landed around him, and she couldn't imagine how this related. She didn't react to his touch as he finished up; instead, he ran her one hand through his wet hair to move it from his eyes as he continued.

"I swear I saw him, Pep," he whispered, almost inaudible.

"Who?" she asked, hearing the shame in his voice.

"My father. I knew it was him. But it wasn't. It was her twisted game."

She frowned, realizing the correlation. "Like I saw Rhodey here."

"Yeah."

He looked up at her and shifted onto one knee, ready to push himself back up into a standing position. Deciding to leave the part about seeing her out, he moved onto his own theories.

"They want to alter the arc somehow...the new element I added to it last month might be able to help them generate enough to sustain any life, indefinitely."

"Like...altering life?"

"Replication. She said...she was trying to propose the formula to me back when we first met, but I turned her away."

"And now she's using it against you?" Pepper asked, trying to figure out where his thoughts were leading.

"Something about reproducing Iron Man."

"Hammer tried that already!" she gasped. "Don't they learn?"

Tony shook his head with a light laugh. "It's a blessing and a curse, Pep. But I can't just destroy it all."

"I know," she told him, cupping his face in her hands and tilting it up to her as the water flicked droplets across it.

He smiled sheepishly, feeling comfort in her touch. "I'm not keeping you out on purpose."

He had a record of upsetting her and having to make up for it that needed fixing, but Pepper seemed calm enough now. Suddenly, the sound of the water splattering down and the heaviness of his soaked clothes became the only things he noticed as he looked at her soft face. How had he never noticed how blue her eyes were or how her thin lips always held a hint of amusement at his stupid actions? She was giving him that same, sly smirk now as he sat on one knee in front of her, his clothes hanging from his wet body.

He heard her clear her throat and immediately felt stupid about their position. He mentally knew he wasn't doing what it looked like; he was Tony Stark. He had never, ever thought of marrying a girl. Yet, even in this situation, with no intentions on kneeling like this, he really wasn't bothered by it. Pepper was something he had to keep; had, not want.

Effortlessly Tony cleared his mind and pushed himself up off the shower floor. With a mischievous smirk, he finally pulled his heavy shirt over his head and kicked his pajama pants off to lie on the floor of the shower, next to the drain. He watched Pepper's eyes happily travel down his figure until she got to...

"Really?" she questioned, realizing he wasn't wearing anything underneath all this time.

He shrugged, his face straight. Stark was obviously not embarrassed about going commando all night.

"So, can you put any weight on it yet?" he asked, pulling Pepper up to stand with him under the water.

Her eyes sparkled as she ran her hands back into their place around his neck. "I'm not glass, Tony."

His voice was husky and his eyes had instantly grown darker as their skin touched. His fingertips slowly traced over her curves until they rested on her hips, then he carefully shifted them back until her back hit the cool, tiled wall inside the shower. Pepper gasped at the initial shock of the temperature change, but she felt fine otherwise; her leg was still sore, but it didn't kill her to move on it, which she took as a good sign.

"I don't want to hurt you," he growled into her ear before nibbling on it.

Pepper didn't realize it but she tightened her grip on him, digging her nails into his shoulders as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.

"Promises, promises..." she whispered, feeling her face warm up at her risky comment.

It earned the response she wanted, remembering what Stark had whispered to her earlier. He heard him groan into her ear before lifting a hand to her chin to turn her neck and give him access to it. The other pinned her hip against the wall, keeping her in place. Pepper felt her breathing become more and more ragged as he got more aggressive with his actions, but she trusted him. This was what she imagined him like with all of the girls he had previously done these things with, and even though she didn't want to be one of them, she wanted to experience everything Tony Stark had to give her if they were going to move forward with a relationship.

"Pep, if you don't stop me now, I don't know if-" he breathed against her jawline.

"Don't," she interrupted, whispering it as she exhaled.

Before anything else could be said, she was losing herself in a heated kiss Stark initiated by her one, simple word. No woman had ever made him want them so much before, but he felt the lust coursing through his veins as he touched his former assistant. Pepper Potts would be the death of him.


	10. The Tower

Dust and pieces of shredded concrete floated through the air around Tony as he opened his eyes. The smell of destruction...if that was a thing...was strong in the room. Looking around, he searched for Pepper - why weren't they in bed anymore?

"Pep?" he called, his voice tired.

Something wasn't right. He glanced down and saw his hands bloodied and the familiar carpet, soiled with debris, of the casino from DC. Then, just as quickly as he had recognized that, he saw her - Pepper, strawberry still in her glass, lying on the floor a few meters away from him. She held her hand out, but her eyes were cold.

"Pepper!" he yelled, trying to rush to her.

The scene faded instantly, leaving him upright in bed with the red head sitting up as well to his right. It was just another nightmare...at least they had moved on from Afghanistan so he could let that go. Sighing, he wiped the cold sweat from his face and tried to slow his breathing until two arms snaked around his waist and tried to calm him.

"Tony," she breathed, panicked as well after he shot up calling for her. "We're fine. Everything is fine. Just breathe."

He struggled for a moment longer to slow his heart rate but finally succeeded. Her fingertips trailed down his bare back, soothing him enough to close his eyes again and reset.

"What happened?" she asked softly once he seemed okay.

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Nightmares. Again."

"Still?"

He faked a smile. "Used to be about captivity, but this time it...was you," he admitted.

Pepper swallowed, realizing there was still so much she didn't understand. "Tell me what happened," she invited.

His fists clenched silently as he spoke. "I saw...you." He turned to her. "It was my fault. The accident. I saw - she made me see you, Pep."

Not wanting him to relive it, Pepper silenced Tony by pulling him into a hug. He sighed and settled into her; he was going to grow quite fond of this kind of comfort.

"Jarvis, time?" he mumbled into her neck as he stared down at the white sheets, now tinted blue by the arc; his hands were clean and as far from bloody as could be.

"Three thirty-one AM, sir."

He groaned and released himself from Pepper's grasp before pushing the blankets off. Then, he stood and grabbed a dry pair of pants and an old band shirt from the closet.

"Gonna grab a drink..." he muttered as he exited to the kitchen.

Pepper frowned but let him go.

As he entered the dining area, the lights turned up slightly, thanks to Jarvis, which revealed his house guest sitting at the island eating one of the rolls from dinner.

"You're up late," Stark observed as he went for the scotch in the cabinet next to the fridge.

"Yeah, someone was keeping me up," Rhodey answered him sternly.

Tony flashed him a grin over his shoulder, proud of himself; he had made his deal with Pepper earlier in the night, and he had made sure she kept it.

"What, don't like my name?"

"At one in the morning? No. Never." Rhodey took a sip of his water. "You can't treat her like that, Tony."

"I's fun, Rhodey. Geez..." he defended, pouring his drink and turning toward the other man. "Out of the two people in this room, who is A) in a committed relationship and B) still the coolest guy in LA?"

"Sadly, you..." his friend replied. "Good point. I'm surprised she hasn't killed you yet, though."

"She's, uh...been a little busy," he joked, taking a swig. "Plus, that's pretty much been everyone else lately, anyway."

Rolling his eyes, Rhodey stood up to quickly rinse off his dishes and put them away. "So, why are you up?"

"Nightmares," he answered simply, staring at his glass.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to someone?" his friend asked, sounding concerned. "First Afghanistan, then a near death experience and Hammer, and now this bombing... Tony, you probably have PTSD-"

"I'm talking to you," Stark answered, as though it were a good enough solution, and downed the remaining gulp of his scotch.

"A professional, Tony."

"I'm good."

"You're drinking scotch at four in the morning. I really think you should go-"

"Yeah, me too," Tony responded before slapping down the glass and backing toward the stairs that lead to the basement. "I'm gonna go," he emphasized the word, "downstairs now, but feel free to not disturb me. Kay?"

"Tony, you can't keep running away from..." Rhodey started, but it was too late; Stark had already bounced down the stairs and into the workshop for an early morning. "...your problems," he finished up quickly. "Why do I even try to help him anymore..."

 

The familiar music of AC/DC filled the air as it echoed through the workshop. The rest of the room was silent, aside from Dum-E running a dest pam across the floor next to Tony's desk. The display of the screen showed roughly after six in the morning - he had been working nonstop since leaving the kitchen, but made sure to check on Pepper through Jarvis before he took off.

Suddenly, the air stirred and a breeze kicked up as the exit of the garage was illuminated, and shortly after, the Iron Man suit touched down on the hard floor next to Tony's array of remaining cars. Mark VIII was branded on one plate as it was opened up and pulled from Stark's body.

"Did you enjoy your flight, sir?" his AI sounded as he stretched.

"Gotta fix those stabilizers," he answered. "And that left foot feels a little funny. Other than that, I think we're golden."

"Perfect. Shall I begin on reprogramming the dismantle process?" Jarvis asked as he logged Tony's notes.

"Jarvis, you know me so well."

"You did build me, sir."

Tony made his way to his desk, plucking a screwdriver off the nearby table. "Check on-"

"Check on who?" a soft, female voice asked.

Pepper was sitting in his chair, obviously awaiting his return. Her hair was in a loose bun and she had stolen another one of his tshirts. When she stood to limp toward him, he noticed she had decided to opt out of pants or shoes.

"You're, uh...wearing my clothes again," he gulped, knowing she was doing it to torture him.

"And you're in trouble again, Mr Stark," she replied easily.

He smiled gently, trying his best to reproduce his infamous puppy dog eyes to soften her up.

"You know you almost gave me another heart attack sitting down here by yourself," he scolded with a flick of the screwdriver, as he recalled the last time he landed in the suit. Then, he decided to lift the mood any way he could. "I can't wait for my punishment," he teased, earning an eye roll from his new girlfriend.

"Why on Earth didn't you come back to bed?" she asked.

Tony held out his arms in defeat and dropped his tool on the desk by his computer. "Couldn't sleep. And...this is what I do best." He furrowed his brow after a moment, realizing how quiet it had become. "Did you turn down my music?"

"Rhodey said you were drinking..." Pepper pressed.

Stark ran a hand through his hair, trying to avoid her questions. "You know I made this place fairly soundproof so I can play my music as loud as I want, right?"

"Tony," Pepper spoke, trying to grab his attention back.

"I can't work without my music."

"You're going to kill yourself-"

"No one's ever died from rock n roll."

"-if you keep drinking before you take the suit out," she finished, glaring. "Who said that?"

"Like everyone. Ever. Look it up. Online or something."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm perfectly healthy. Pep, you really need to stop worrying about me."

She softened up a little bit. "You make it hard not to."

"I know." She wasn't wrong.

"I just think-"

Stark groaned. "I was scanning the tower, Pep!" he finally revealed.

"-that y-" Pepper stopped abruptly, listening. "You were what?"

Tony forced another smile and stepped toward his computer so he could bring up the blueprints. Then, he projected them into a 3D model in the air with his hands.

"This," he told her, taking a seat in the chair she had left, "is the new tower...for New York." After a pause, he added quickly, "still in concept, of course."

The red head pushed herself toward him, but soon realized how tired her legs were from walking on her own for the first time in forever, and decided to sit sideway on his lap instead, keeping her feet level on the ground by wrapping her arm around his shoulders. At first, she felt him tense beneath her, not sure of where to put his hands, but eventually he settled on holding one around her waist and used the other to zoom on the projection and spin it around.

"It looks exactly the same as here," she observed.

"Well, it is. For now," he agreed. "Except..." He focused in on one aspect at the bottom; another arc. "This is what's powering me now. And I think it can power the building with some configurations."

"Isn't that what this Avery person is trying to do?"

"Sort of. Just got me thinking...Stark Industries - the first name in self sustaining energy," he presented, waving his hand through the air. "I basically already did the same thing with those temporary reactors I used on you. If we try it on the house first..."

Pepper zoned out as he was explaining everything to her and studied the building. "And where exactly do you plan on putting this thing?"

"Right..." Stark answered, pulling up a map and locating a lot in New York he had destroyed in the earlier attack there, "there."

Pepper remained expressionless for a moment, causing him to panic slightly.

"What? Don't like it?" Tony pried.

She turned her head toward him. "You did this all in the past three hours?"

Before Tony could answer, another voice sounded off, coming from the doorway.

"I like it," Colonel Rhodes praised as he wandered in from upstairs. He was dressed in his blues and ready to run. "As long as you let your girlfriend tweak some things."

Tony smirked, shutting down the projection. "How about I tweak you a little, instead?"

Pepper smiled apologetically at Rhodey, then went back to Stark, running her hand up his chest over his shirt and stopping at the arc. "No, I like it. I do. But...when are you gonna find the time to start building this?"

"Uh," he stammered, giving her his best shrug of guilt. "I sorta already have a team breaking ground...tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" she repeated, shocked by his quickness. "How?"

"Pep, I'm Tony Stark. And Iron Man. It's not hard to find some people to build you stuff."

"And what about a press release? What happens when Stark Industries just shows up and starts building another huge skyscraper in the middle of New York City?!"

"Okay, you're angry," Tony announced. "I, um... hey, I can build it," he offered, but it sounded more like a question.

"You?" she repeated, looking at him with a blank expression.

"Yeah. I can lift...heavy things."

Pepper sighed, realizing he was going to get his way whether she liked it or not; it's just how Tony Stark was. She straightened out his bed head as she thought, then caved. "Put a suite at the top and we have a deal."

He blinked up at her, a grin spreading across his face in approval of the idea.

"I also like...whatever this is," Rhodey motioned between the two of them. "But I gotta head out."

"Already?" Pepper frowned.

"Lockdown's lifted. If something happens, I'll be back. Base needs me for now, though."

She nodded, giving a half smile to say goodbye. "Thank you, Rhodey."

"Oh, and Happy called for you," he informed Stark.

"Everything was fine an hour ago when I circled back..." Tony murmured, starting to panic prematurely.

"Everything's cool," Rhodes reassured. "Just wants to know if you're coming in now that you can leave the house."

"That," Pepper responded, giving a look to Tony as she played with the collar of his shirt, "sounds like a wonderful idea."

"You can barely walk," Stark reminded her, placing his hand on her thigh and rubbing small circles around the wound.

Turning bright red, Pepper leaned down and whispered her reply. "That's not because of my leg," she told him slowly.

She watched as Tony shifted uncomfortably beneath her and sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes darkening as soon as the words left her mouth. His hands tightened on her thigh, causing her to feel a little sting, but nothing compared to the days prior. She brushed it off and turned back to Rhodey, pleased with herself.

"Actually, a press conference might not be a bad idea."

Stark swallowed, trying to clear his mind. "For...?"

"About New York," she purred, running her finger down from his neck and back to the arc. "About us moving in."

"Moving...in?" he asked nervously.

Was she implying moving in with him already? Or did she mean moving to New York? She had to be just messing with him; she had gotten good at that since figuring out he really did have feelings for her.

"Before the press gets word of you 'lifting heavy things' in the middle of the city," she quoted.

Oh, she meant New York. Two could play at that game.

"Yeah. Okay," Tony agreed. "We can uh, head down there this afternoon. Can you call for a release and...wait, who does this stuff now?"

Pepper chuckled, lifting herself off of him with as much effort as she could; she succeeded. "I'll handle it, Mr Stark."

"Good." He scratched his head, then pointed at her. "And tell him we need the suite. Afterwards."

"For what?" Pepper asked over her shoulder.

"Date night?" he asked, his voice high and hopeful as Rhodey gave a look of approval.

She raised an eyebrow. "Mr Stark, are you asking me out on a date?"

"About time, right?" he joked, grinning as he walked towards the stairs after the two.

 

The screaming of the paparazzi was not appreciated but was expected as Stark's car pulled up to the front door with Happy at the wheel. He had come to pick the two up shortly after Rhodey departed, keeping the suit, but still to Tony's displeasure. It was their first trip back to the Stark Industries offices since Pepper had left for New York and Tony had taken his father's diorama home, and it looked like they had the unfortunate luck of interrupting a news report on just that.

"Mr Stark!" they called, cameras flashing as Happy lead them into the building.

"Tony!"

"Miss Potts, can you comment..."

Their voices drowned out in Pepper's head as she felt Tony place his hand in the small of her back to guide her through the door before himself. She blushed at the contact and followed his lead; she was used to the reporters, but it had been a while since they'd been so persistent. The press conference was sure to be fun if that's how eager they would be for information.

Once inside, Pepper let her limp show a little more, but tried to mask it as best she could, thankful she had made a rare decision to wear flats into work for once. Tony had offered a boot to one of his suits for assistance, but she knew that would cause way too much commotion and unwanted attention, so she declined.

They made their way to the elevator, ignoring the glances and talk from the staff as they passed. When they finally made it inside and the doors closed, PEpper heaved a sigh of relief and used the bars against the wall to settle herself on, shifting her weight to her good leg. It was going to be a tough day adjusting to walking and standing in place again, but she was determined.

Tony smirked at her from behind his blue tinted glasses, but stood like a proper business man with his hands clasped, facing forward.

"You holding up okay?" he asked, turning his torso to her.

She faked a smile in response and looked at the man next to her, admiring his fitted suit more than she ever had before; it molded to him like a glove and she couldn't help but picture all it was hiding underneath, now that is was hers. Her eyes traveled back up and landed on the arc; she could hear it humming in the quiet lift as it shone dimly through his dress shirt.

"Pepper, my eyes are up here," Tony teased with another smirk.

Before she could respond, the familiar ding of the elevator doors opening sounded and a young woman boarded. The girl froze, realizing Tony, then awkwardly shuffled the files in her hands and pressed her floor - a few below where Pepper and Tony would get off.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed, daring to face Tony, who had shifted closer to Pepper to make room. "But are you-"

"Tony Stark?" he grinned, flashing his pearly whites at her. "Last time I checked."

She shoved her glasses up her nose. "It's...it's an honor to finally meet you, sir," she stuttered nervously.

"Tony," he corrected.

She smiled, then left an awkward silence after turning back to the door to wait for her stop. Tony glanced at Peper, mimicking his look to Rhodey during the ceremony in DC.

"No," she mouthed as she straightened up to appear more professional.

When the girl left and the door closed again, Tony instantly beamed at her with giddy expression. "You don't even know what I was gonna say!"

Pepper smiled innocently. "With you, it's always 'no'."

He wiggled his eyebrows seductively and approached her, placing one hand on her waist and the other above her on the elevator wall.

"I believe I got many, many 'yes'es last night," he answered, locking his fiery eyes with her own through his glasses.

She watched as his barely visible brown pools dropped to her lips just before leaning in to her, but the elevator conveniently hit their floor and the doors revealed the then very interested crowd waiting to board. Pepper sucked in a breath as Stark jumped back, then proceeded out into the hall with Tony right behind.

The whispers and gazes that followed questioned if it was, in fact, Tony Stark on the floor. Most were not as concerned with Pepper; she didn't have the same reputation he did. He faked a smile and followed her to the office, glancing at the pile of his stuff in the corner from their previous arguments as he fixed his suit jacket.

"After you, miss Potts," he ushered, holding the door open for her.

"Thank you, Mr Stark."

Pepper passed and rounded the desk, then set her folders and tablet down. Tony put his hands in his pockets as he kicked around at his pile.

"So, uh... Guess I don't have to take this home, huh?" he asked.

She glanced at the mess he had made after she left, and the few boxes that remained now that the diorama had been removed. Then, she moved to lean against the front of her - their? - desk. She decided to humor him.

"I think it messes with the decor," she decided.

Stark frowned, looking from her back to it; honestly, it wasn't important either way to him, he just didn't want to waste his time moving boxes around.

"Figure out what we're telling the press yet?" he asked, changing the subject and putting his focus back on Pepper.

She placed her hands on the desktop at her sides and sighed. "Something creative...it'll have to be to keep them from asking about the Expo."

Tony didn't reply, but moved toward her and placed his hands on her hips as he closed the distance between them. "I can think of something we can give 'em," he suggested.

Pepper looked down at her feet, then softly back up at his familiar face; oddly, it didn't feel weird to be so intimate at work. Even though no one knew, she was beginning to come around to public displays of affection....maybe it was time to announce it. Clearing her thoughts, she reached up and removed his smokey glasses gently, folding them up and placing them inside his jacket pocket for him.

"You're inside, Tony," she told him with a childish amusement in her eyes.

Stark squeezed his eyes shut as the glasses were taken off, but reopened them and shot her his best saddened look. She ignored it and asked him about his plans instead.

"Well, the conference isn't until this afternoon. I have some things to catch up on that will probably bore you so I-"

"Don't worry," he ensured her. "Happy has the suit. I'm gonna run a few more scans."

Pepper smiled faintly but nodded, hearing his schedule.

"You know I hate it when you take that thing out," she mumbled as she straightened his tie out.

He flashed a crooked smile. "I'll be back inside for the press," he promised.

The red head let his tie lay flat and looked back up at him; something was different. There was no lust that she expected, especially being in the office alone. Instead, there was just a form of...kindness. He seemed almost protective of her, or of her feelings, or of some form of her. His heart was showing again.

"All right," she finally agreed, realizing she could let him have his fun. "You go do your thing, Iron Man," she teased.

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her softly, nothing like the night before. She eagerly accepted, but it was quick and left her wondering about the date he had planned that night instead. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten already...

A throat cleared from behind them, causing Tony to turn toward the doorway. Happy stood, holding out his case, with a grin of his own slapped across his face.

"Oh thank God," he exclaimed, happy to see them so close. "I couldn't take the arguments anymore."

Pepper started to laugh, herself, realizing the cat was finally out of the bag, and somehow everyone approved before the two of them in the actual relationship did. She pushed herself off of the desk, moving Tony, and went back around to sit in her chair.

"There will still be plenty of arguing, don't worry," she informed Happy with humor.

"She's not wrong," Stark agreed, accepting the case from him. Then, he turned back toward Pepper. "And uh, don't forget. Tonight. Here. Seven thirty."

She felt a blush creep in and nodded, glad he remembered. A date with Tony Stark would surely be interesting enough, but something was definitely on his mind, and she knew she'd be able to pry it out of him then. She let out a breath, ready to focus on the piles of paperwork in front of her as the two men left her to her silent office...at least until the first employee needed something from her. It was bound to be a long day.


	11. Vibranium

Pepper checked her watch as she waited for Happy to meet her at the door; it was half past two, just a half hour to go until she had to address the press on everything that had happened since Tony was in DC. She hadn't eaten all day, and even though most of her work was only done in their office for the day, she knew she had to get some kind of energy in her. She didn't want to have to stand in line at the cafe, so she sent the car out, insisting the driver got something for himself, as well.

"Miss Potts?" a voice sounded to her side.

Pepper smiled and turned toward the man, noticing the paper and clipboard in his hand, silently asking her to sign. She accepted after briefly reading the memo and handed his pen back, thanking him. He nodded and was about to take off before the loud, obnoxious sound of iron hitting concrete made the two jump back.

Iron Man's suit landed with a thud in front of her, startling almost everyone wandering the sidewalks outside. Pepper yelped in fear, not expecting his landing, and shot daggers at him with her eyes as he stood up from his signature super hero pose with his palm on the ground to brace the landing. She stayed silent until the face mask lifted, revealing Tony Stark in a laughing fit; he was amused.

"Are you kidding me?!" she shrieked, obviously mad at his entrance.

She apologized to the employee to her side and let him scurry off, but he was too entranced with Iron Man standing before him to move. Tony didn't take notice, and attempted to pull the CEO in for a hug. She pushed him off, waving her hands in defense. Stark frowned, but pulled back.

"Thank you," she said again to the man to her side, not wanting him to witness what was going to be another argument between them.

This time, he took the hint and disappeared, leaving Pepper to face Tony with a glare that would burn a hole through his metal suit.

"Did you seriously just think that would be a good idea?!" she yelled.

"I just thought I'd drop in." He raised an eyebrow when she didn't answer. "It was funny. You were supposed to laugh. Or get extremely turned on by your superhero boyfriend trying to surprise you by landing heroically in front of you."

"Were you watching me?" she questioned, realizing he had to have known she had just made it outside for the first time that day.

Tony ignored her, knowing he was in for a fight if he kept going. He was learning...sort of.

Pepper blinked and brushed her bangs out of her eyes in annoyance. "You expect me to laugh at this...stupid armor, after the year I've had?! Do you have any idea the nightmares I have? First you go missing, then you create this...this Iron Man thing...to fight a bigger one in the middle of a highway, then Hammer, and now you're attacked in DC and someone breaks in while you're away?! Tony, I can't even walk because of you. So yes, I'm going to be scared out of my mind when you make an entrance like that!"

She finished her rant with a huge sigh, knowing that was one of the only times she had ever gone off on him like that, despite all of his childish behavior over the years. She did everything she could to not meet his eyes, or anyone else's....they were all on her after her explosion and Tony's landing.

Before anything else was said, she heard a series of clicks and looked up to see the armor folding back off of Stark, revealing the suit he had shown up in underneath. He stepped down and was released, leaving the suit standing upright as it closed back up and was left in form.

"Like that?" he asked, nodding slightly over his shoulder at the new suit. "I had Jarvis redesign the assembly."

Pepper slowed her breathing as she narrowed her eyes, trying to understand why that was his response to everything she had said. She didn't speak, but stood upright again, trying to ignore the stinging of her leg after her initial jerk.

Stark frowned as he tossed his sunglasses back on, then finally gave in and pulled the girl into a hug; something else he didn't normally do, and it was earning the eyes of most of the passerby employees. He felt Pepper relax in his grip and took in the scent of his shampoo, now in her hair...it was something sightly erotic, knowing she was his from something as simple as that that no one else would pick up on. For a moment he debated kissing her, but didn't know how she felt about announcing their relationship yet, so he held back. He mumbled an apology into her hair and waited until he felt her arms run up his chest and softly hold still on either side of his arc.

Pepper could feel the hum of his reactor vibrating against her hands, but it didn't bother her. In fact, it was interesting; there was so much she didn't know about him, somehow, and she loved finding each thing out. Finally, she teased him with a slight smile and told him silently that he was forgiven.

"Are you just gonna leave that thing out here all night?" she asked, looking into his chocolate eyes.

He smirked, brushing a bit of her hair from her face. "I'm always open to toys in the bedroom, honey," she teased.

Potts rolled her eyes and pushed off of him, thankful that Happy's car was seen pulling into the front drive. She tried her best to ignore the stares and mumbles from the surrounding people and gave the driver a warm smile as she stepped up to accept the brown paper bag of food he held.

"Thank you, Happy," she greeted. "Did you get yourself something?"

He patted his stomach. "Ate on the way."

She frowned. "You could have joined me!"

"Uh, where's mine?" Stark piped up, eyeing up the bag hungrily.

Pepper rolled her eyes and pulled out a wrapped cheeseburger and tossed it at him; she knew better than to not order him something as well. He grinned like a child and unwrapped it immediately, stuffing a big bite into his face. Her lip pulled up in a disgusted look as she watched him down it.

"Did you...want me to wait?" he asked, mouth full.

She turned back to Happy and tried to ignore him. "Thank you, Happy. The press should be here soon. Are you able to help us out?"

"Of course," he agreed. "That's my job."

She smiled. "I'll be back down in twenty after I try to eat some of this."

"Not too much," Tony ordered as she began to walk back toward the building. "Don't wanna spoil dinner!"

She glanced over her shoulder with her own smirk, making him inhale sharply. He knew what she was implying, even though he was trying to be tame. She could make his mind wander with just a simple look, and eventually that made his eyes travel down to her ass as she stepped through the glass doors.

Happy cleared his throat next to Stark, making him turn towards his driver.

"What?" he asked plainly, finishing up the burger.

"You and Pepper."

"Yup." He popped the p.

"You better treat her well," Hogan warned.

Stark glanced at the man at his side. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because that woman has put up with your bullshit for far too long."

"You do realize...you work for me, right?" An eyebrow raised from behind the dark glasses.

Happy faintly let a smile slip. "I picked up the ring."

"The one I ordered?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Already? Huh."

His driver reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the band, holding it in his fingers for Stark to observe. He smiled after a long moment, satisfied.

"Good. Hold onto it."

 

 

Once again, Pepper found herself staring at her watch. She watched as the seconds ticked by for a few moments, then sighed angrily and looked around. Where was Tony?

"Happy, have you seen him?" she asked, impatient.

Their conference room was full of press and reporters and he knew damn well what time he was supposed to be there; they had only talked a half hour ago, for God's sake!

"He was packing the suit up a few minutes ago," the driver told her kindly. "Said he was leaving it with some prototypes in the lab."

She groaned. He had used the suit to do scans on the structure of the tower so he could report to the crews starting on his project in New York. He would go to help out in a few weeks once the ground was broken. She hated the idea of him getting into trouble again, even with the Iron Man suit; it was getting old watching him struggle while she felt helpless.

You're gonna have to go in without him, she decided, realizing it was already ten minutes past their agreed time.

"Happy, just keep him out here if you see him," she requested, then turned back toward the doors.

She adjusted her skirt feeling uncomfortable. This was only the second time she would be handling them on her own, and despite how many years she worked with Tony, she was never the fll center of attention. Even at the last one, he had chipped in to make it uncomfortable. The memory made her lips tug up as she realized he really was 'her mess', as he said a few days prior.

She took in a deep breath and made for the door, but a voice stopped her before she opened it.

"Starting without me?" she heard Stark ask as he wandered to her side.

"You're late," she stated simply, blinking at him.

"Fashionably."

She rolled her eyes. There he was, the Tony that drove her nuts with his excuses.

"So run it by me," he asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Run what by you?"

"What are we saying?"

"You," she spoke with a nod of her head, "aren't saying anything. You can stand there and look-"

"Sexy? Thank you. It's a hidden talent."

"-professional."

"Just don't blame me if the other girls can't keep their eyes off this," he grinned.

She stared at him for a second with a straight face, but when Happy moved toward them to prepare to open the doors and lead them in, she let her smile shine through and ran her hands up his arms and to his cheeks, earning a smirk from Stark.

"Miss Potts," he whispered seductively. "Not in front of the cameras!"

Pepper pulled him in for a slow, teasing kiss. She smiled against his lips, but once she felt his hands twist around her and land on her ass, she heard Happy clear his throat and she was reminded of their setting.

"Later," she whispered almost inaudibly in his ear, making Tony suck in a breath - she was getting good at that.

Without warning, Happy tapped at his wrist and opened the doors as soon as Pepper pulled away from Tony. He wasn't prepared, but hell, they'd seen him in worse states. He tossed on his   
glasses, the usual shield, and followed her up to the stage, standing awkwardly at the side...usually he   
was up front.

"Mr Stark!"

"Pepper!"

"Tony!"

The usuals were called, and they had a job to ignore all of them. Unlike he usually would, Pepper waited quietly until the crowd silenced themselves, then thanked them for coming.

"Wow, thank you!" Potts began, trying to sound surprised. She glanced at Tony as she introduced themselves, as though they needed an introduction. "Tony and I," she said slowly, "were   
running a little late today, but-"

That's all she got out before she got bombarded, and she noticed Stark smirk again, obviously aware that was going to happen. He could handle them, but that's how he was trained; quick with a remark, but not always the most sensible. She got flustered, a little too easily. This is why they'd work well together.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Stark interrupted, silencing all of their questions as soon as he spoke. "Let the lady talk."

Pepper questioned him silently, and all was quiet for a moment before the uproar started again. Mostly everything that was yelled inquired about DC or Hammer, but one question stood out loud in his ears. It was her - same, lovely Vanity Fair blonde...Carrie, right?

"Mr Stark, tell us more about this new element you've created?" she taunted.

He raised an eyebrow, glancing quickly at Pepper. "My father created it. I just...introduced it, let's say."

"And it runs off the arc?" a male voice in the back called up.

He stood, motionless. "It is the arc."

"So it's replacing the arc in this tower?" the man followed up.

"And what happens when you discard whatever is currently powering all of your systems?" Everhart pressed.

Stark blinked. "I can't discard it, sweetheart. It's part of me, in case you forgot."

"And you won't replace your own with-"

"Who's to say I already haven't?"

Tony had some sort of feud with this woman; she got under his skin easily and he had to win this battle. He had won on their first meeting, and then again when leaving her with Hammer to go pull his racing stunt. But, he heard a voice in the back of his mind reminding him to cool it - he had Pepper now, and Pepper was more important...both to him and the company.

"Care to prove that, Mr Stark?"

He smirked and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt on command, moving down until Pepper placed a hand on his arm.

"That's enough, Mr Stark," she hissed, covering the microphone with her free hand. "Keep your clothes on."

Everhart interrupted. "So, is it true this new, unknown, and untamed element you've created is now on the loose in the hands of of someone who plans to further what Hammer had began last week?"

She had brought out the big guns, finally.

"No," Stark said simply, taking the podium fully from Pepper. "You have literally never been more wrong."

"But you just said you're using the new element for yourself, so-"

"What Mr Stark means..." Pepper began, "is that the Vibranium powering his personal arc is not 'untamed' and-"

"So, we should just assume there's not going to be another army of Iron Man replicas? That one of your suits was never stolen right from your own home?" Christine pressed.

Pepper paled, wondering what else about their personal time she knew. She stiffened, trying to stand taller and mask that she still felt wobbly on her leg.

Tony noticed, but tuned Everhart out. Had she just said stolen? How did anyone outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. know about what had happened? And didn't Rhodey say they had sent Natasha and another agent out to Germany where Avery was last spotted?

He straightened his shoulders. "Yes. I'm Iron Man. The one and only."

Her stare pierced him. "And we're supposed to know the difference between you and one of your metal suits?"

He smirked, remembering their initial meeting. "I can prove to you it's really me, if you'd like. But you should already know," he countered seductively.

Camera flashes and the murmurs of the rest of the crowded room didn't break their locked eyes. He kept his brown eyes on her, fire at their center as he held a firm, otherwise unreadable gaze on her until Pepper chipped in again.

"Mr Stark and I have no news on the Iron Man suits, if that's what you're implying, miss...?"

She made a point of pretending to forget her name after their bash at the mansion during their first meeting. She spoke slowly, trying to hold back her anger with Tony for flirting with the familiar woman.

"But you all must be wondering the real reason we called you here today," she said, trying to sound excited.

Thankfully, she earned a few chuckles with her light hearted comment and earned the attention of the room again. She smiled, continuing carefully.

"Stark Industries would like to officially confirm that we will be opening our doors in New York later this year."

Immediately, questions were shouted and Pepper was still too focused on Tony to concentrate, especially when they were asking her things like 'does this mean Iron Man is joining the Avengers' and 'which office will Mr Stark be calling home'; this was a perfect example of why she was hesitant about getting involved. She invested herself instead in the few interested in location and timeline of the new tower and tried to forget about it for a while.

Finally, after about ten minutes and no help from Tony, she began to feel her leg tingle and decided to call it quits. Overall, it was just a standard press conference - one she had seen Obediah pull off multiple times before when Tony was...unavailable.

Leaving the stage, Pepper ignired Tony's out-stretched hand to help her down and followed Happy back into the secured hallway. She wobbled just slightly.

Stark frowned, but didn't mention anything. Instead, his hands went instinctively in his pockets again as the door closed and the swarming press were subtly muted. Happy fought them to keep them secured inside the conference room.

"I can't believe you."

Yup, Pepper's flare was back. She instantly turned on him once they were alone, aside from the few employees wandering around the office on their way out for the day.

"Me? How 'can't you believe me'?" he asked, repeating her to tick her off.

She turned towards him, getting a raised eyebrow in response as he stood tall and rigid. God, he loved this woman. She was always so full of energy, even if she was usually just upset with him.

"You said everything was under wraps. How much do they know?"

Was she threatened by the idea of the world knowing they were a couple?

"Pepper." He tried to calm her, but failed.

"I can't...if word gets out about this, what credentials do I have? I can't be CEO just because the head of the company decides he wants to-"

"That's not why I promoted you, and you know it," he answered sternly.

She was pacing, holding a hand to her forehead as she thought. "And the flirting. Oh my God, Tony."

"What?"

She stopped and faced him. "Do you even care about me? Or is this all just for your own amusement?"

"No. You're not asking me this right now." He breathed in slowly to try to remain calm, but it wasn't helping. Instead, he jabbed a finger her direction and couldn't contain his voice. "Let me tell you something, Miss Potts. You don't get to decide if I care. You think I stopped bringing home girls and gave you CEO and took care of you all week because I 'don't care'?! Damnit, Pepper, why do you think Iron Man exists?!"

Tony flung his arm to the side and gestured around them in signal that Stark Headquarters was his protection over her.

"I didn't ask for that!" she yelled back.

Then, silence.

Stark didn't react. He didn't frown or smile or continue yelling or really utter a single word. Instead, he removed the tinted glasses and casually put them back inside his jacket, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. They battled it out in a harsh staring contest until Tony finally broke. Then, he sniffled a little to clear his senses and looked away.

"Okay," he decided as he rolled up on his heels, sounding normal enough - it was his mask to seal away everything else underneath. He turned toward his driver. "Hap, wanna get the car ready?"

"Are you ready to go, Miss Potts?" Hogan asked, raising a hand to gesture toward her flustered form.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Tony answered for her.

"No, she's got work to do."

Her jaw dropped as he waved a dismissal with his hand. Inside, she felt like she was breaking into a million pieces. She knew he was a flirt, but she honestly expected him to tell her she was wrong, not agree!

"Actually," she announced, glaring at Stark as she walked toward the glass doors. "You stay. I have to give a speech at the elementary school you donated to last month."

He scrunched up his face, confused as to what she was talking about. Had she done it in his name without telling him? Probably. It seemed like something Pepper would do. As she exited the building, the people around them started getting back to their daily duties, now perfectly aware that there was something going on between the two heads of the company. Happy was simply shaking his head, hoping Stark would notice, as he followed her out to the car and left Tony alone in the lobby.

 

 

It was already getting dark by the time Happy pulled the car up to the Stark Industries building after the school event. Pepper was exhausted, but she had to collect her things before she took off to her own apartment for the first night in a while. She was still miffed with Tony, but she would have to deal with him in the morning. Until then, she just wanted to eat the rest of what she had saved from lunch, take a nice, hot shower, and pass out in her own bed.

"You need me to take you back?" Happy asked, peering over his shoulder as she collected her things and opened the car door to exit.

"No, thank you," she answered, smiling kindly. "You've done more than enough today, Happy."

"Just doing my job," he told her. "And...don't let Tony get under your skin. You know we'd both be lost without him."

She sighed and her smile broadened as she nodded slightly. "Thank you. Go get a good night's sleep, please."

"Call me if you need anything."

She got out and closed the door quietly, then proceeded to swipe her badge to get into the now locked building and head up to the offices on the top floor. As she took the elevator up, she leaned against the wall again and felt the weight come off of her flat feet. She missed her heels, but for now, she was glad she didn't push it on her first day back; she didn't have too much of an issue walking, which delighted her.

The familiar ding of the elevator door opening brought her back to reality as it rung out through the silent place. She had been at the office more than a few times after hours, but tonight, she just felt out of place. After draining her energy and the argument with Tony earlier, she only wanted to be far, far away from the office.

As she wandered down the hall, Pepper leaned over slightly as she stepped and pulled off her flats. She held them in her hand and made for the door, but once she opened it, she was left staring at the scene in front of her as a smile slowly formed on her lips.

The lights of the office were dimmed, barely on, and a couple candles were lit on the table next to the couch to the side of the room. Two dishes, wine glasses, and a bottle being chilled in a bucket were present, as well as the one thing that really made her grin. Passed out on the couch was a napping Tony Stark, now changed into a pair of dark jeans and a long sleeved shirt he had rolled up at the elbows. One arm was draped across his stomach and the other was reaching out toward the ground, and the arc reactor left a blue glow on the ceiling through the light fabric.

Realizing she had completely forgot about their date, she checked her phone. No, she was on time. Actually, a few minutes early. She figured he must have worn himself out over thinking about something or other...but at least he was sleeping again.

Pepper dropped her stuff at the door and padded over to the couch, sitting on the edge. Her fingers traced his hairline as she smiled down at him. He was adorable when he slept; his mouth was slightly ajar and he just looked peaceful, which she rarely saw anymore. The last time she had seen him so relaxed was probably...before Afghanistan. She thought about that for a moment more, and it hit her just how odd it was that so much had changed. She remembered how difficult it was hiding her feelings for her boss all those years while she watched him invite girl after girl over. And now, this ridiculous mess of a man was hers, and he had done all of this for her, even after their fight.

While she was lost in thought, she must have brushed his skin a little too much, because he scrunched his eyebrows together as he began to stir and eventually, he blinked his eyes open and shot her a groggy smile once he realized she had returned.

"Hey," he murmured sleepily.

She smiled, suddenly melting inside, and continued caressing his face. "Sorry I'm late," she told him sweetly.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position and rubbed sleep out of his eyes as he stifled a yawn. "Must've fallen asleep. Started to think you weren't coming."

"Of course I'd come. I had to see what the great Tony Stark had up his sleeve." She looked around at the beautiful set up again. "Did you make all of this?"

"Yeah, after you left." He let his shoulders drop. "Pep, look, I-"

"It's okay," she told him sincerely.

Forcing a sad smile, Tony leaned into her as she put her arms around him. He breathed in slowly and brought his own palms up her arms and around her back to rest on her shoulder blades. Her hand ran slowly through his hair, trying to comfort him.

"I screwed up, Pep. I'm sorry," he muttered into her.

She chuckled. "And this is how I know you care," she told him. "Because you never apologize for anything or anyone."

"Except you," he grinned, and she could feel it against her.

"So do you always cook your dates dinner?" Pepper teased, knowing full well Tony Stark didn't date.

He mumbled an "mmm", but only gripped onto her tighter.

"Tony," she laughed, trying to pry herself from his grip. "Let's just forget about it, okay? This food...it looks delicious. Maybe we should eat before it gets cold..."

Tony slowly lifted his head and met her eyes, his own sad and dark. He knew he had lost his cool with her, and he hated himself for it. Happy and Rhodey were right, she was the best thing he had going.

"Move in with me," he said suddenly, not caring about the dinner anymore.

Pepper froze as his eyes searched hers; he was serious, she could tell. Her face felt warmed by the blue glow from his chest as she fumbled through her brain to form a sentence...or even just a word. Did Tony Stark really just invite a girl to live with him?

"W..what?" she asked, shocked.

"Come on. You already pretty much live there. And-"

"Tony," she stopped him. "If this is about earlier..."

"It's not," he promised. He swallowed and brought his one hand to brush her bangs aside so he could better see her light blue eyes. "Pepper, I'm so lost without you, and today..."

"Tony-" she argued, but he pressed his thumb to her lips to quiet her.

"Pepper, today when you said I didn't care about you... You are the only one I have ever cared about. No one else meant anything. And I need to protect you, Pep, and I can't do that if you're not right here next to me. With or without the suits."

She let her lips curve up from under his thumb and waited silently until he removed his thumb, ready for her to talk. She could tell he was nervous; Tony never expressed himself like this, ever. Finally, after teasing him long enough, she opened her mouth dramatically to talk, but paused.

"What?" he asked urgently. "What is it?"

She let out a laugh. "Okay."

"Okay?" he repeated, blinking.

"Yes," she answered. "Yes, I'll move in with you."

She watched as his lips tugged u ever so slightly; the usual reaction from Mr Stark. Then, she leaned in to kiss him, planting her soft lips on his in the happiest of kisses they had ever shared. She laughed against him as she brought her hands to his cheeks and held him there, enjoying the moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked against her, but she groaned and even though it wasn't meant to be attractive, it was.

Tony grunted at her noise of approval and pressed his rough hand against the back of her small neck, holding her to him. He gently worked at parting her lips, and suddenly, her innocent, playful kiss left her moaning into his mouth as he turned it into more. Soon, he had her pulled down to his chest as he laid back down on the couch, letting his hands roam over her back and down to her behind.

Eventually, she pulled away panting. "Mr Stark, is that really appropriate for the office?" she asked with a hint of heaviness to her voice.

"Screw the office," he growled, going for her neck.

She closed her eyes as she felt his lips explore the porcelain skin on her neck until he found the sweet spot close to her shoulder, making her weak. She struggled to keep her arms supporting her, but she mentally attempted to force her body to drag her good knee up between his legs. She felt him instantly suck in a breath as she did so, and she knew she had him. Pepper leaned down to whisper in his ear after he released her neck, letting his lips linger over his skin.

"Mr Stark, are you-" she managed to get out.

Out of nowhere, the glass of the room's windows shattered, and the loud banging of metal on metal erupted, making Pepper screech in fear. Tony instinctively rolled them off the couch, hovering over her to keep her safe below him as they laid between the table and the floor. Something had burst through the wall of the tower, destroying most of his office in the process, and knocking his candles and dishes on the floor from the table next to them.

"Tony?" Pepper gasped, blinking as concrete fell from the ceiling above them.

Her head hurt from the landing on the floor, but otherwise, she was okay. She took a look around; to their side, she could see the damage where the desk used to sit; it was not a crumpled pile of wood and boards and the windows behind it were shattered and gone. The breeze from outside traveled through her now dirty, loose hair, making her blink profusely. As she did so, she heard the pounding of heavy steps coming closer...but they sounded familiar. They were mechanical. They were...Iron Man's?

"Stay down," Tony ordered, still shielding her. Then, he muttered under his breath, "so much for date night..."

"Mr Stark," a new voice boomed. "Funny seeing you here."

Pepper recognized it instantly; it was the same person who had attacked her in the workshop. She tried to lean her head back to get a good glimpse, but all she saw was the red and gold shin plates approach with more loud thumps.

"Yeah, the giant name on the side of the building wasn't a hint or anything," Tony responded sarcastically. "Lemme guess, you want the arc?"

The man chuckled, lifting the faceplate of the suit to look at them. "Smart. No wonder they called you a prodigy." He stepped closer, the sound of the repulsor activated; he was charging it. "Say, did you like the gift my buddy left you in DC?"

A shot was fired at the couch, causing Tony to lift Pepper and roll them a couple times across the room to avoid being hit. Stark was breathing heavily while Pepper panicked. Once he regrouped, he realized they were near the corner where he'd left the case.

"Pep," he said, attempting to remain calm. "I'm gonna grab for the case. You get yourself out of here and go to the lab. Put on the suit and call Rhodey. Don't question me." He looked down at her with seriousness in his eyes. "Ready? Go!"

Without processing, Pepper struggled to run out of the room, her injured leg throbbing the whole way. Thankfully, Tony reached out an arm and activated his case, revealing the repaired suit he had worn in Monaco as it coated his body. Finally, when the faceplate dropped on his, he was ready to stand and confront his attacker.

Jarvis instantly ran scans on the suit, confirming the Mark that was stolen from Tony's workshop.

"All right..." Stark spoke to himself. "You wanna play?"

He continued analyzing it before taking a jump, full jet, at the attacker. They collided, their arms in a tangle of metal and strength. Tony's heels dug into the floors, tearing them up as he attempted to take the other suit outside and away from Pepper.

"Don't worry, Tony," the man spoke, closing his own faceplate again. "You can take me out if you want, but that Vibranium core you so nicely provided us went a long way with her father's work."

Stark narrowed his eyes, his body aching from holding the other suit up. He let Jarvis scan Avery's history as he shoved at the suit and the two went tumbling down to the ground.

"Sir," Jarvis sounded. "It seems their decent comes from World War I Germany."

"Great," Stark groaned as they landed hardly into the pavement of the streets below, thankfully not hitting anything except an abandoned car. "So we're fueling nuclear energy with whatever the hell that mad scientist came up with."

"To be more precise, sir, it is a mixture of bioluminescent regeneration enhancer molecules and the Vibranium core that speeds up the rehabilitation process in his unit."

"Sooo, in other words," Tony complained, figuring it out, "he can keep that suit going no matter how many times we destroy it."

"It seems that way."

"So what's powering it."

"Locating a source now."

"Get on it, Jarvis!" Stark demanded. He grunted as he powered his repulsor and took a swing at the oncoming suit. "Come on, Pep, any day now..." he mumbled, waiting for the system to alert him that she was safe.

That's all he cared about right now; that Pepper was safe, and far, far away from whatever this suit was capable of.


	12. Helping Out

Pepper ran as fast as she could down the hall and chose to take the stairs down in fear of the elevator being damaged. She tumbled down, trying to stay on her feet as she flew. Tony had directed her to the lab, and she was beginning to have flashbacks of the battle with Obadiah the last time she was involved. She was determined to save Stark's ass, yet again.

She finally scanned herself into the lab, thinking about his instructions. He didn't really expect her to get into one of those things, did he? She answered her own question with a groan as she was met with the suit he had left outside, open and prepared behind the locked doors. So...he was keeping them at work, now, too? It did not appeal to her to climb into it, but she knew that's what he wanted...especially after the incident at home. She scowled, but reluctantly closed her eyes tight as she backed into it and felt it close around her.

"Welcome, Miss Potts," the familiar voice of Jarvis welcomed, allowing her to slowly ease her eyes back open.

She gasped as she was met with a visual display in front of her, as well as the sight of the outside world. She didn't feel constricted, like she expected to, which was a plus. If only she could figure out how to work the thing, but she imagined that would come in time...or Jarvis could help her.

Then, without warning, a red light flashed before a small screen showing a front view of Tony's face displayed in the corner of her vision.

"Sir, Miss Potts is online," Jarvis informed, audible to her as well.

"Tony?" she asked, her voice squeaking.

"Yeah. You in the suit?"

"Y..yeah," she answered, holding up the gauntlets and twisting them around so she could look at her palms and the repulsors. "Where are you?"

"Don't worry about that," he breathed, grimacing as the screen flickered.

In the background, Pepper could hear a few small noises, like echoes, and they all went with his facial expressions. He was fighting, she was sure of it.

"Stay there. Jarvis, call Rhodey and bring him in. Gonna need backup on this one," Tony ordered.

Pepper blinked and tried to steady her breathing. The one good thing about the suit was she didn't feel any pain building in her leg anymore...or maybe it had healed. The bad thing...she was afraid she'd be weighed down if she tried to move.

"Pep?" Tony asked, as though she had been ignoring him.

She probably had.

"Are you okay?" she whispered urgently.

Tony grunted, then responded quickly. "Pepper, listen to me. I need you to stay inside until I say so, okay? Use the repulsors if you have to. You remember how you activated it in the garage, right?"

"Yeah..."

She sounded terrified, but mostly for Tony's sake. Then, another small window appeared revealing Rhodey's face.

"Tony? Where are you."

"Sending coordinates now, Colonel Rhodes..." Jarvis piped up again.

"Big guy. In the suit," he gasped as more loud bangs were heard from his mic. "They altered the arc. Gonna need some firepower over here."

"Widow's got an agent coming with her now," Rhodey informed Stark. "I'm on my way."

Tony groaned, but not because of his attacker. "You called the babysitter on me?"

Rhodey sighed and rolled his eyes. "I got another twenty minutes inbound. Figured I'd get you some help now."

"Jar, location on S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Trackers on screen, sir."

Pepper watched as a few blips lit up on what looked to be the map of downtown LA on her screen to the other side. She was beginning to get overwhelmed with everything going on and had no idea how Tony put up with the craziness of everything.

"What is going on?!" she finally asked, sounding exasperated.

"Pepper?" Rhodey questioned, sounding completely caught off guard.

"She's in the suit I left in the lab," Stark filled him in.

Then, Tony took a big hit and was thrown back against a car in the street. He groaned and his eyes were shut tight as he hissed through the pain. That would leave a bruise.

"Tony!" Potts shouted, her heart beating a million miles a second. "Tony, are you okay?!"

The image of Stark flickered and the connection was dropped, leaving Pepper and Rhodey on their own.

"Tony!" she screeched.

"Pepper!" Rhodey called, still visible. "I need you to get out there until Widow shows up, okay?"

She didn't answer. She felt like crying. She had fought with him and ruined their day, and almost ruined their date. He had literally spent the entire night setting up and waiting for her, and they couldn't even enjoy it, and now he might be... No. She refused to believe it.

"Pepper!" Rhodey snapped again, grabbing her attention. "Tony'll be okay, but we gotta help him out. I'm gonna guide you through it, but you need to be brave right now, okay?"

As if a switch flipped in her, she stood straight and felt more confident. She remembered briefly the last time she had been so close to the arc and helped Tony defeat a suit, even if it was just a bigger version back then, and knew she could do it.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Don't try to fly. Get to the street and find Tony. Jarvis can show me what's happening from there. Stay out of the way. Got it?"

She nodded, then realized he couldn't see her helmet tilt. Instead of vocalizing her answer, though, she tried walking toward the door, and nearly tripped over herself. She expected the suit to feel a lot more weighted down, but instead, it felt almost as normal as walking in her own skin. She felt hot from embarrassment, even though no one was around to see it happen. She straightened herself out and pushed through the authorized only doors, and then proceeded to the glass entrance.

Jarvis scanned the area as she look around. Nothing to her left. To her right, she could see where the building had collapsed from up top, at Tony's office. The rubble was now lying on the street. As she analyzed it further, she could tell where Stark had been; metal footprints from one of the suits had broken into the pavement and a few cars had dents along their side. A small flame burned in one engine; probably the one he had banged off of whens he first logged on.

She made her way to the right, noting the mechanical noises the suit was making. She did not want to ever be in this kind of situation again, and was really trying to understand what Tony saw in it. However, she had no idea the things he'd been through while he was captured, so she couldn't ever fully understand...

As she turned the corner of Stark Industries, she spotted them. One suit had it's back to her, and a good grip on the other while he held it in the air. She held her breath, praying Tony was on the end giving, and not receiving.

Then, thankfully, a video feed flickered back on.

"Pepper?" Tony asked as the suit glanced back at her.

She held up her hand defensively, charging the arc repulsor as she had in the garage. All of a sudden, the memories of the attack in Tony's workshop flooded back and she felt constricted thinking about how things could end. At least this time, she had armor and not just one hand.

"You have a visual?" Rhodey asked, obviously not seeing the call she was receiving.

"Tony?" she whispered, still aiming her hand.

Jarvis's icon focused in on both suits and she saw a thermal scan be completed.

"Both suits are registered to Mr Stark," Jarvis informed.

"Which one was taken?" she questioned.

Before she could get an answer, she saw an object zoom over her shoulder, causing her to flinch and do a double take behind her. When she turned back to the two Iron Man suits, she noticed the blinking of the arrow that had landed in the shoulder of the one holding the other up. It was making a beeping noise that was progressively getting louder, and the suit dropped the other back onto the car they had crushed. The faceplate of the one standing lifted up and revealed Tony's confused look at he pulled at the arrow, removing it from his armor.

"Tony!" Pepper yelled again, realizing nothing good would come out of the arrow.

"Pepper, what's happening?!" Rhodey asked again, this time sounding more urgent.

Then, a voice sounded behind her, making her spin around again.

"Stand down!" a familiar female ordered.

When Pepper spotted her, crouched behind a vehicle behind her, she let out a sigh of relief. Natasha had arrived, and a man with a bow and arrow was at her side, peeking out from behind the trunk of the sedan. She took a step forward, but Nat fired a warning shot that landed just to the side of her foot on the road, stopping her in her tracks.

"I said, stand down!" Natasha repeated.

Cursing silently, Pepper let her repulsors burn out and fumbled for any kinds of buttons on the suit.

"Rhodey!" she begged. "How do I take this thing off?!"

"I can help with that," Jarvis cut in.

The faceplate on the suit lifted, leaving Pepper in the full body armor. The sudden fresh air was welcomed, but she took a moment to adjust.

"Pepper?!" Natasha called, lowering her firearm just a tad. "Tony made you a suit?!"

"It's a long story," she huffed. "Tony's-"

Suddenly, Pepper felt Jarvis close the plate again as the suit was tossed toward Natasha and the man she had wish her, sending her tumbling into the car's frame. She braced for impact, but thankfully didn't take it too hard; a perk of the Iron Man armor, for sure. When the sounds of firing ended, she realized she had been hit from behind; one of the suits had fired at her, and hit, judging by Jarvis's warning of only 54% power to run off of.

"I'm coming in in five," Rhodey informed her after her screen blipped. "How you holding up?"

"Never better..." Potts muttered before pushing herself back up to face the two Iron Man suits with the agents.

"You with us?" Natasha asked from above the car's roof once more. "Doesn't look like your arrow worked," she spoke to her friend, watching as the Iron suit tossed it into the building beside them right before it exploded, blowing out the front windows in the process.

"You're firing on Tony-" she began, ignoring the inquiry, but Natasha silenced her.

"The girl was a decoy," the man spoke from the other end of the car. "And they're both Tony."

Potts looked back at the two suits and frowned, forgetting the one was able to portray whoever he wanted. Of course they'd mess with her mind.

"Jar, open the other suit..." she whispered, though she really didn't want to know the truth.

Behind the second faceplate, Stark's face was pale and his eyes were closed, still passed out. Which one was her Tony?

"Whoever took the suit is the one we should've been tracking. Clint, by the way," he introduced at the end.

Pepper blinked, looking up as Natasha agreed. "They're working together, but he's the one with the family ties. She went by Avery instead to keep Stark off his tail. Removing the tracker and having her on the radar over seas was just a distraction while he infused whatever-"

"My apologies for interrupting," Jarvis's voice spoke up to only her. "But the source of the arc's power has been located."

"Source?" Pepper repeated.

"Yes. Mr Stark had asked me to run a scan and seeing as he is currently out of commission, my next best point of-"

"Get to the point, Jarvis!" she snapped, not wanting to do this anymore.

"Miss, it seems the reactor itself is being powered off of the giver's own blood sample."

"Wait, did I just hear blood sample?!" Rhodey answered, almost disgusted.

"Indeed. The vibranium element in Mr Stark's reactor is empowered by the element injected into Avery, himself."

"So we destroy the arc and he can just...steal a new one?" Pepper asked, dumbfounded.

"In theory...with the toxicity levels registering from Avery...I'm afraid so."

Jarvis displayed a chart displaying the normal blood potency Tony had recorded when testing the new vibranium arc compared to that of Avery's system in the corner of her vision. She swallowed, realizing that only meant one thing, and Pepper Potts was not a murderer.

"Pepper!" Natasha's voice sounded again, sounding more urgent. "A little information would be nice!"

The red head pushed herself up into a kneeling position, regaining her fire. A million things were running through her head, including panic, as she tried to recall which of Tony's suits she had seen the man leave in.

"Am I clear for landing?" Rhodey asked.

Then, his familiar silver suit crashed down with a roar, stunning the people still stuck in the surrounding buildings. Pepper heaved another relieved sigh and stood tall.

"Which one is fake Tony?"

Then, she clearly remembered Stark grabbing at the suit that he had worn in Monaco, remembering it stood out because it was silver. She didn't have to wait for Jarvis to answer before instructing Rhodes which one to focus on. Fake Tony had fired at her, and real Tony needed her help.

"I'll get Tony," she told him, focused on the passed out suit. "You handle this guy."

"We have your back!" she heard Natasha remind him as the two advanced to take on the fake alongside him.

She watched as Rhodey's suit grabbed at the Stark who had fired at her by the neck and tossed him over his shoulder and into the pavement near the car. She dove, avoiding him, and tripped as she tried to make for the other side of the street so she could safely go after Stark. Potts regained her balance as he fired his repulsor at the suit. Then, Rhodes dove back at him and tossed a few punches at his metal head.

She slid to a halt at Tony's side once she neared the car, forgetting the battle behind her for a second, though he could hear the Iron suit Rhodey was fighting begin to fight back after the initial surprise of his arrival. Jarvis kindly flipped her faceplate again as she fumbled to sit him up, still rested on top of the car's squished hood.

"Tony!" she called, desperate to see him open his eyes.

Thankfully, a few shakes were all he needed, and he blinked them open, immediately showing her a smirk as he took in the appearance of Pepper in one of his suits.

"Hey, good lookin," he teased. "You should wear that to bed sometime."

She laughed a nervous, relieved laugh and let her shoulders relax. Her eyes closed as she thanked the heavens he was okay. When she reopened them, however, she was met with fear in his own, reflecting back into her. Then, he suddenly shoved her to the side to get her out of harm's way as Rhodey was flung their direction.

"Shit!" Tony cursed as his friend landed just past him on the street. "Thanks for dropping in."

"I try," Rhodey mumbled, pushing himself back up. "Got a game plan?"

"Uh, working on it," Tony answered as his faceplate closed again. "Is that...me?"

"Something like it," Rhodey mocked. "Definitely nicer."

Tony scowled on their video feed after he reappeared, noting the sarcasm in Rhodey's voice as they both recalled the battle at Stark mansion after his birthday party had so abruptly ended a few weeks back.

"Well, you know what they say," he announced as he prepared to attack. "Imitation is the finest form of flattery."

With that, Rhodey made a face of agreement and the two used their jets to slam into the once again standing Mark unit, who had now closed his own faceplate again. Pepper watched, feeling helpless, as Tony shot at him with a few repulsor blasts and then instructed Jarvis to find any weak points; he had no idea what modifications had been made. Pepper realized this and rushed to their side to help.

"Pep!" Stark growled, as he ducked from a swinging arm. "I thought I said stay inside!"

"Tony, his arc's running off of his body. It's in his blood!"

Stark squinted his eyes over the video in confusion, but Jarvis soon filled him in.

"Well that's...different," he muttered. "Okay, so new plan of attack? Guys?"

"Any new tricks in one of these babies?" Rhodey asked, remembering the lazer Stark was hiding in the dome attack against the Hammeroid army.

Tony thought for a moment, then turned to Pepper's suit. "Pepper, scratch that. I need you."

"Oh, I know, Mr Stark," she teased in a seductive voice, feeling the power of the suit grant her a bit of cockiness she may not have had otherwise. "But you're a little busy right now."

A high pitched giggle escaped Tony's lungs as he appreciated her dirty mind. "This is why I love you."

"Gross," Rhodey spat, stepping back to regain his footing. "Save it for later. Much later."

Refocusing, Tony pointed at Pepper's suit. "Pep, yours has Rhodey's special toy," he instructed. "Aim it at the arc; it should stun 'em at least."

Pepper swallowed, looking at her screen displays. "I...don't know how!" she cried, frustrated.

"Jarvis, help her out!" Tony ordered, annoyance present as he flew up to avoid another shot by the suit. "I'm going in for the arc."

Pepper felt her shoulder expand as more noises erupted from the suit. She saw a red dot auto focus on the rival suit's arc as the laser burned into its core from her shoulder.

"I want one of those," Rhodey observed. "Hey, Tony, give me one of those!"

"You already have a rocket," Stark shot back.

"Yeah, that I put on myself. I want one of your rockets."

"Help me take this guy down and you and Pepper can both have one of my rockets," he grinned.

Pepper scowled in response as the stolen suit roared with anger; shots hit the back of it from Nat. His arms flailed out and she could hear the voice changed back to the man who had spoken to her in the workshop coming from the helmet's speaker as he struggled to withstand the attack from Pepper's suit.

"Your little firearms can't destroy this, Tony," Avery growled as he managed to pull a damaged car from the center of the street and block her attack. "It's not the suit in charge here, it's me. And it could've been you, with any version of Iron Man, if you would take just a single pitch from anyone who isn't sleeping with you."

"Jarvis, lock in on that reactor," Tony commanded as Rhodey stood defensive and ready to attack at his side. "Nat, got a visual?"

"On target, Stark," she called from behind Avery before he continued his rant.

"The arc technology was exactly what my father needed to make his vision work, and you so kindly provided it to me. He studied regeneration his entire life and finally, I have something to show for it. You could be invincible. When the arc's gone, what will you be? With his serum...you could live forever, and Iron Man could be anywhere in the world, at any time you wish. You could police society!"

"That's not what the suits are for!" Rhodey barked back, defending his friend.

Avery growled again. "You're just damaged goods, Stark. Time to move over and let someone worthy take over."

He realized he was circled and used the vehicle in his grasp as a shield; his only defense besides the armor. Once he understood that, he let out another growl in disgust and picked up the car in both hands, flinging it towards the group in the Iron suits.

"Pepper!" Stark yelled after dodging, realizing she wasn't one with the jet features on the suits yet.

Her eyes widened behind the faceplate as she tried to turn, but was clipped as the vehicle came crashing down into the street, sending her suit flying after it bounced violently off of the roadway. Her body ached and she felt winded as she collapsed in a heap against one of the sidewalks and her world faded into blackness.

"Pepper!" Tony called again once her video feed dropped from Jarvis's connection.

"Sir, suit systems have failed. Power at 0%," the AI informed him as she lay still.

Both agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. watched her fly back but didn't dare come out to her side; not while Avery was still on the offensive. Instead, Natasha called out to Tony and Rhodey and gave them orders as Clint made a run to their vehicle.

"Tony! Shut down that suit!" she demanded. "Rhodey, you distract him while Clint grabs the jet."

"You have a jet?!" Rhodey asked, confused as all hell.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot of things, Colonel," she answered cooly. "Not as high tech as Stark, but maybe we can change that if we make it out of this one."

"I'm on it," Tony muttered, his mind still on Pepper.

Tony's Mark unit charged up the repulsors as Rhodey took a first shot. His friend flew toward the stolen suit and tackled him once more, pulling him to face away from the incoming roar of an engine a few seconds later; they must have landed close by. Looking overhead, a small aircraft zoomed in, launching a rocket from underneath before circling back up and away. Stark watched as is flew down toward Avery.

"Rhodey, get out of there!" he yelled before diving in to push his friend to safety.

The two iron suits collided as he used the jets to fly them out of harm's way before the rocket hit, leaving Avery in a fiery explosion that temporarily blinded him.

"Sir, systems are currently malfunctioning on the stolen unit," Jarvis announced.

Seeing his window of opportunity, Tony launched himself toward the arc and used his gauntlett's strength to pull the arc from the suit. Normally, this would be impossible, but he could feel the vibranium burning in his mouth and knew it was only because of the new element he had crafted. Standing, he analyzed the components of the arc using his helmet's scanner, then crushed the thing in his hand.

"Jarvis, open the suit," he ordered, knowing he had full power over it now that the arc wasn't linked to Avery's body.

"I got this," Rhodey interrupted, stepping in as the man's body was released from the suit.

Tony nodded, glanced at Natasha who had let her weapon down and was approaching their current spot, finally coming out from under cover. Then, his blood chilled as he remembered: Pepper.

Quickly, Stark ignited the jets and streaked to her side. He let his metal knee pads bounce against the pavement as he landed, not caring if it looked pretty. Eyes from the surrounding buildings were starting to peek out, now that the yelling and firing had ended, but he didn't let that influence him. He pushed a button on the faceplate of the suit and let it release from her face; her eyes were closed and she looked...peaceful.

"Pepper," he spoke softly, though the concern was growing in his heart. "Pepper, hey!"

Tony shook her lightly, then commanded Jarvis to release both of their suits. He stood tall for a mere second to let his open from the front, hers unraveling until she was also exposed. The metal cradled her bent up limbs.

Tony knelt besides her again and checked for a heartbeat, but couldn't find it. Panicking, he lifted her torso up and into his arms, slightly shaking her again as he tried to ignore the stinging in his eyes.

"Pepper. Hey, come on honey. I'm not doing this again. Enough games, huh?"

Still no response.

Tony blinked up at the sky as he groaned furiously. This wasn't fair. She was just trying to help. Trying to protect him. He could've done this himself, but he had told her to get the suit. He did this. It was his fault.

Looking back down, he placed a hand on her neck, and not caring what the public saw anymore, leaned down to press his lips against hers in a desperate kiss. He waited, hoping for her to respond as she usually did. Maybe she'd say something teasing. Maybe she'd yell at him. Nothing.

Stark laid her body back down, trying to think of anything else he could do. This was his worst nightmare...quite literally. He had dreamt about her in the rubble at the casino, and now it was a reality. Then, it hit him; this was like the casino, and he wouldn't let her die. He grabbed at his arc, twisting until it released from his body, the shock already coursing through him. He could feel his heart fluttering as it struggled to beat on it's own - it would fail within minutes and send him into cardiac arrest, but he couldn't care less. He ripped the wires from the bottom, leaving them attached to his body, and instead lightly touched her skin with the bottom of the arc. Like the casino, he could use it as a conductor, hopefully to jolt her back into the world soon enough to reconnect it to himself before he passed out, himself.

The first attempt didn't bring her back, so he reached back and lifted it for another moment before trying again. He was struggling for breath now, feeling the lack of blood being coursed through his veins as his heart weakened. The shrapnel would release at any point if he didn't hurry.

Before he could go at her chest again, he felt a strong hold grab at his shoulders and spin him around, just out of reach of Pepper. His pained face was met with that of Avery's, for just a split second. The man spit at him, and prepared to say something else, but was soon left helpless as Natasha pounced on him and injected something into his neck with a syringe.

"Antidote," she breathed once he collapsed. "The only good thing we got out of that rip to Germany. Forgot to mention that."

Tony grunted, ignoring her, and reached over his head, trying to look back at Pepper as his eyes started to spot. With one more attempted, her stuck the bottom of the arc to her collar bone, sending another shock through her. Then, he felt weak and let his arm drop, leaving the arc rolling across the pavement and to Natasha's foot as Tony's heart finally stopped.

"Tony!" she asked, fright finally showing in her voice.

She looked up as Rhodey's metal footprints approached behind her. Grabbing the arc, she fumbled with it until she clipped it back into his chest, leaving it blinking a few times. Then, a gasp was heard from just next to him as Pepper's eyes flew open.

Pepper blinked ferociously, looking around in shock and confusion. What happened?

"Tony?!" she questioned, trying to sit herself up.

"Jarvis, a little help here!" Rhodey demanded, his faceplate opening.

After a small scan, Jarvis spoke up very softly and sadly. "No heart rate detected, sir."

"Tony?" Pepper asked again once her eyes found his still body. "Oh my God, Tony!" she shrieked. "Rhodey, do something!" she demanded, frantic.

The red head cupped his face, trying not to let the dizziness overwhelm her again, and watched as the arc flickered. She felt her heart beating louder and louder with each passing second, trying to remember how to help from all the times she caught him working on himself. Then, her mind flashed back to the last time he had saved her.

"The lab!" she yelled, trying to lift him. "Get him to the lab!" After a moment of silence, she added, "now!"

Rhodey finally obeyed, picking up his friend while still in the iron suit, and made his way back around the building and toward the blown out doors. Pepper hurried after him with Natasha, her chest heaving as she ran, knowing her plan might not work. But maybe, with some luck, she could use his own toys to help Stark out. He had helped her, and now it was her turn.


	13. Taming Tony Stark

Pepper rushed to swipe her Stark Industries badge through the security component on the computers inside the lab as Rhodey placed Stark on the nearest surface: one of Tony's experiment tables. Natasha dumped the items settled on it on the floor to make room for his body. Frustrated, Pepper finally let out an exasperated sigh as the computer granted her access. She pinned in Tony's code, and after a few moments, she was able to locate the location of what she was looking for...the brace Tony had used on her the day she was attacked.

Pointing towards one wall of the lab, she instructed Rhodey to retrieve it. "No questions, just help me out," she begged.

Then, Pepper fumbled with Stark's shirt, unbuttoning it so she could get a better look at the arc component.

"Why is it still flickering?" Nat asked, concern coating her voice.

"Beats me..." Pepper murmured, placing a hand on Tony's cheek while she waited for Rhodey. It was still warm, thankfully. "How am I gonna keep up with you..." she whispered, saddened.

"This what you're looking for?" she heard Rhodey ask as he approached, holding up the prototype with a confused expression.

"Yes!" she gasped, grabbing it and feeling for a button on the side to release the closure so she could guide it over Stark's shoulders.

Rhodey and Natasha watched, holding their breath. Pepper hoped the device would work as well as it had with her, but she knew nothing about how it functioned or what it could do with his arc implant. It was her last option; thank God Happy had reminded her he had begun storing prototypes in the lab.

"Come on..." she breathed, waiting for any sign of life in the reactor.

It continued to flicker, but after a second, she let herself drop her forehead onto Tony's chest in relief as the familiar blue glow took over and he gasped for a breath.

"One of you guys wanna tell me what the hell that thing is?" Rhodey asked, commenting on the thing saving Tony's life.

"Something he was working on with Jarvis. Using the vibranium element he replaced the old arc with," Pepper answered, taking Tony's hand in hers. "He saved me with it after the suit was stolen."

Rhodey took a deep breath. "Remind me to get that from him. The military would pay big time for one of those."

Pepper smiled but didn't bother to respond; she was just relieved she hadn't lost him. She let her hand wander through his fluffy, unruly hair, noting he could use a haircut; she would have to schedule that - Stark still wasn't domesticated enough to make his own schedules.

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked Pepper, removing her eyes from Stark.

"For being knocked out twice this month...pretty good," she joked lightly.

Rhodey dropped his faceplate suddenly, remembering the outside events. "I gotta go do cleanup."

"Can you grab the suits while you're at it?" Pepper asked, remembering that all three Marks, including the stolen one, were still out on the street. "I'll let you keep that one, off the record," she winked.

Rhodey raised an eyebrow, challenging that order. "Good luck talking him into it."

"I think I can figure something out."

Then, Natasha stood, the monotone scale returning to her voice. "Clint's boarding Avery onto the jet. Fury's got dibs."

Pepper nodded, understanding. Quite honestly, she wanted nothing to do with him, anyway. She wanted to put everything past her...past them. It was definitely time for things to change.

"Agent Coulson will check in when he's back from assignment," Nat continued, reminding them he would be back and forth between New Mexico and California.

"Thank you," Potts whispered, sincere.

Nat's lips tugged up slightly as she silently returned the appreciation. "Take care of him."

"I will."

It was a promise. She was done with the games. She had almost lost him, again, and this time it felt worse than ever before. She knew she couldn't have him give up Iron Man, but she wasn't going to let anything stand in their way anymore. It was time to enjoy each other...after far too many years of the back and forth flirtations.

Rhodey and Natasha exited as she turned her attention back to Tony. She knew Rhodey would bring the suits in and then address the press, knowing full well that he had to make up another lie about some experient or military test gone wrong. She had Jarvis phone Happy once they were alone, knowing he would be getting into bed any minute. She hated the idea of bothering him on his night off, but there was no way either of them could fly home, and she didn't trust anyone else right now.

As she was spacing out, Tony stirred, gripping her hand tightly for a second. She focused on him, suddenly feeling her heart pound again.

"Tony...?" she asked, hopeful.

Finally, he winked one eye open to pry a look at her, deliberately making it look like he was taking a peek. She felt her smile widen as she saw his chocolate eye inspect her, a smirk tugging at his own lips. He was okay.

"Did we get em, Potts?" he asked weakly, his voice raspy.

She laughed; it was genuine, but she didn't know if it was more because she was from exhaustion, amusement, or relief.

"What?" he asked, trying to sit up after opening the second eye. Then, he noticed his own experiment on his torso. "Huh," he inspected, amused. "Cyberhead ask to run his tests yet?"

Pepper raised his hand, still in hers, to her lips, then held it against her forehead with both of hers wrapped around it. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me?" he asked, pushing up on his elbows until he was in a sitting position, facing her. "You scared me, Potts. But, you kicked ass, you know. It was pretty hot."

"Oh, stop," she whined playfully.

Tony smiled warmly with closed lips, then lightly tapped the piece over where his arc was. "Guess I gotta do some work on this when we get home."

Home, Pepper thought. Where was home? Should she go to her apartment, or was the mansion her home now?

Tony sensed her discomfort and squinted, trying to read her. "You're still..."

"Yes."

"Good. Cause if you don't-"

"Tony," Pepper interrupted.

"-want to, we can always drop by..."

"Tony!" she snapped, knowing that was the only way to get him to stop his rants.

His smile returned as he sniffled and wiped dried blood off his dirty cheek. "I was thinkin...I could go for a shower. And then some food. I owe you a couple omelettes by now."

"Only if I can join you in the shower..." she murmured, returning her hand to his cheek to cover the blood stain.

Pepper pulled him in for a kiss, feeling him smile against her lips as he processed what she just requested.

"Yes. That," he spoke against her. "We're doing that."

Pepper giggled in response as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him. She felt content with this and thanked the heavens she was able to melt into his kiss again. This felt right. It felt good. And it was time she made everyone aware that this silly but perfect man was hers.

 

 

"Welcome home, sir," the voice of Jarvis sounded as Pepper followed Tony into the mansion and the lights turned up.

Happy had dropped them off, grumbling the entire way home about being woken up, despite the mess that was left down town. The authorities had arrived shortly after Natasha had taken off with Clint to return Avery to Fury, and Pepper refused a statement. Rhodey did his best to do damage control, talking up yet another failed experiment...he would have to find another excuse eventually if these things were to keep happening.

Tony limped his way to the kitchen cabinet in search of his familiar bottle of scotch he kept upstairs and poured himself a glass while Pepper kicked off her heels and let them lie by the front door. She let her hair fully down and took one of the chairs by the island, watching Tony take a sip of the warm liquid. Her bones ached and she still felt slightly winded, but at least it took the last of the focus away from her leg; she'd inspect it later, expecting her wound to be reopened, but so far, there was no blood so it wasn't a priority.

"What now?" she asked quietly.

He narrowed his eyes. "A vacation?"

Rolling her own, Pepper sighed. "Not the best time for that. I can work out of the conference room until the office is rebuilt."

"We can wait until the tower is up in New York," Stark suggested, setting his glass on the counter.

"And how long will that be?" the red head mused.

"Uh..." he stammered, wondering if he should give her a real answer or a fake one to persuade her to take a break. "Two weeks?"

"Two weeks," she stated, less of a question and more of an accusation. "Tony, I can't take a two week vacation right now. The office is destroyed, the police are going to ask a ton of questions, Coulson is expected to-"

"Pepper!" Tony hushed, moving around her back and slightly massaging her shoulders. "Relax. We'll figure it out."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered.

Tony sighed and removed one hand to run it through his messy hair. "Come away with me," he offered.

Pepper spun around in her chair. "Are you dying again?"

"No!" he insisted. "I just-"

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Why do you always do that?" Stark asked, getting frustrated.

"Do what?"

"Assume I have a hidden agenda."

"Well," Pepper mused, looking at the floor instead of him, "given your history-"

"I just want to be with you, Pep," he told her sincerely. "When we're not working, or fighting, or holding...press conferences..."

Had Tony Stark just had a moment? Pepper looked back up at him and stared, not sure what to say to that. While she tried to form words, he continued.

"I almost lost you twice now. And I'm not okay with that." He paused. "I promised you I'd help with the tower, and I think Iron Man could use some positive press for once..."

"You're going to build a skyscraper in two weeks?" she asked blatantly.

"Not all of it. Most of it. The heavy lifting, like we agreed," he responded.

Pepper let a smile show and sighed, shaking her head. "You try too hard, Tony," she told him.

He grinned. "Only for you. Come with me. We can...stay in the penthouse."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Which you're selling, by the way. If you insist on building this thing."

"Pep, I'm a billionaire, I can afford two New York apartments."

"It'll look good on paper," she mused. "I have to stay here and help Rhodey with the clean up," she said, her voice actually sounding a bit sad; honestly, she was. "And you had a photoshoot scheduled for next weekend, and the gala is the night before..."

"Already?"

"It's the same time every year, Tony. Don't worry, I'll go in your place."

"Right. I knew that."

Pepper gave him a warm, soft gaze and let her shoulders relax. She stood and grabbed his hands, leading him toward the stairs with her.

"Let's go take that shower," she teased. "And when you get back, we'll redo date night...and we can talk about that other thing you texted me today..."

Stark smirked, remembering the slightly x-rated text he had Jarvis send Pepper while he was scanning the building during the work day. He had no idea how she would respond, and never did find out since she ignored him, but he imagined she blushed madly before returning to work and trying to push the idea out of her mind. It looked like he was successful.

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, following her up the stairs as he put himself in the present and forgot about his departure to New York in the morning.

 

 

Once seven in the morning hit, Pepper was blinded by the tint of the windows in Tony's bedroom fading to let the sun in. Jarvis informed her of the time and the current weather, then all was silent. She heaved a sigh and turned on her side, towards Tony, only to find the bed was empty.

So much for having a nice morning before all hell lets loose... she thought bitterly.

Pepper gathered her clothes, still thrown into the corner from the night before, and added them to the pile of Tony's she had to take to dry cleaning. She made a mental note that she should utilize Tony's absence over the following few days to start moving her stuff in; she wouldn't have to put up with his OCD while organizing their things so she could have some space, as well. Thinking, she decided to also finally switch out the art pieces in the workshop again, noting that the ridiculous color block portrait of Iron Man still hung where her Barnett Newman piece was.

Without needing to ask Jarvis where Tony was after she dressed for the office, she padded barefoot down the stairs and to the workshop, noticing her leg didn't ache at all; maybe the suit had somehow helped her out, there.

Once she reached the door, she punched in the familiar coding, observing the glass had already been replaced. She turned down his music instinctively, then made her way over to where he was huddled over his desk, holding his shirt up with his teeth to inspect the arc on his hologram displays.

"Hey," he mumbled, spitting the shirt out of his mouth and spinning the chair to look at her.

"You're up early," Pepper observed, frowning as her replaced his tshirt over his well cut abs.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, standing to move over toward the bar to grab a protein shake Dum-E was constructing.

"No, Jarvis, actually," she answered.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potts," the AI spoke after hearing his name. "It's in my protocol to alert Mr Stark at promptly seven AM."

She chuckled. "And somehow you still don't want to get up."

"Not true," he shot back over his shoulder as he poured the shake into a glass. "Not since last year, anyway."

She ignored the remark about Afghanistan and commented on his arc, instead. "So you're going to be okay?"

"Nope," he told her, popping the 'p' before downing the shake in just a few gulps and turning back toward her.

"No?!" she gasped; that wasn't something you just casually dropped on someone.

He smirked and approached her, placing his hands on her stiff shoulders as she looked at him with concern. He loved toying with her, but he needed to stop freaking her out so much.

"No. Much better than 'okay', actually. Perfect. Because I have you."

Pepper smacked his chest lightly but felt her smile creep back as he leaned in to sneak a kiss off of her. She could feel him grin into her lips, as well; he knew he had won.

When they broke apart, Pepper felt him snake an arm around her waist as he reached out to shut down the computer screens.

"Just had a couple loose wires. All good now," he told her with sincerity again. "Must've snapped 'em when I tugged it out."

"I hate you for doing that, you know," she answered.

Tony decided to ignore her comment; it would turn into a fight again, and he didn't want to put up with that. Plus, he was afraid if he left on bad terms, he might be locked out of his own house upon his return from New York.

"So, listen," he began, turning back toward her and placing both arms around her waist. "I'm thinking, if I take the suit, you can have the jet...just in case you want to visit."

"Tony, we talked about this..." she responded.

"I know, I know," he protested. "Can't blame me for trying."

She gave him her own smirk. "When will you be back?"

"A week or two. Just helping the architectural aspects."

"And you figured out how to use the arc already?" Pepper asked, curious.

"I'm a genius, Pep, but not that quick," he chuckled. "We'll get the thing built, and then...maybe you can help me."

It sounded more like a question, in hopes of Pepper agreeing to something that had to do with the tower. After all, he had only shared his plans with she and Rhodey, so far, although the news had gotten word about him purchasing the land well before ground broke. Then, this morning, more information followed as they showed live shots of the construction there while talking about the damage at the Los Angeles office. Rumors were flying about what that meant for Stark Industries, and about....other things. He swallowed nervously, hoping Pepper didn't get a chance to check in with the stations yet.

"I have a long day," she finally spoke after pondering the idea for a moment. "Are you staying for dinner?"

He frowned, then kissed her forehead lightly. "I don't think so, babe. I'll try to make it quick though. Unless you'll grant me the expenses to just call in a team, but-"

"This is your baby, Mr Stark," she mocked.

"Right, so I'll do the theoretical pushing..." he agreed, earning a glare from Potts. "Or...heavy lifting."

"Call me," she instructed, kissing him quickly on the lips before leaving his embrace and heading back upstairs; Happy would be arriving any minute to drive her into the office to meet the contractors.

Tony forced a smile after her before sighing and turning on his heels to face the suits again.

"Jar?" he summoned, feeling guilty about leaving.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do me a favor and call the florist. Have them deliver to Miss Potts at the office during lunch."

"Will do, sir. Any particular order?"

Tony frowned again. He didn't know flowers. He never really needed a reason to order flowers. Did Pepper even like flowers?

"...does Pepper like roses?" he asked, hoping the files had some sort of background on her favorites.

After a pause, Jarvis stuttered out an oddly humaized reply. "...how about a mix of everything, sir?" he suggested.

"Good," Tony agreed. "I want that but make it double the size."

"Ordering now, sir."

Tony felt pretty good about the idea; he knew he shouldn't be leaving the day after being attacked, but he and Pepper were so used to hectic, busy lives since Iron Man was created that it barely phased them anymore. He still needed to earn some points from her, though, and this was something people in relationships did...right?

"Bring up Mark VIII," he requested, preparing to suit up and take off for New York.

 

As Happy pulled up to drop Pepper off at the Stark Industries building, she noticed the police barricades around the damaged road she had been fighting on the night before. Then, once they stopped, the flashing of the paparazzi quickly began and she sighed, not wanting to deal with it. Ultimately, she had to, and she waited patiently as Happy got out and came to her door to escort her inside. She flashed him an apologetic look and decided to tell him to go home for the rest of the day once they got inside.

"Miss Potts!" she heard her name called over and over as she walked steadily on her heels into the building.

Pepper did her best to shield herself from the cameras; she still felt a little uneasy about being in the place she and Tony were attacked, but she knew Avery was in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. now, so she was as safe as ever. Plus, she could call Rhodey any time she wanted.

"Pepper!"

"Any comment on wearing the Iron Man suit?"

"Did Tony make a special Iron Man suit for you?!"

"Is Mr Stark okay?"

The questions were coming in hard; they must have gotten word from the people watching the battle that she was, in fact, in one of Tony's suits while they fought. Though she didn't really attack anyone, she must have been noticed once she was released from its Iron grasp before finding Tony on the ground.

Finally, after making it inside, Pepper let her guard down and thanked Happy.

"Why don't you take today off?" she asked, feeling sorry for everything they put him through the day before.

"Are you sure?" he asked, not masking his glee very well.

Pepper smiled warmly; he was like a kid on Christmas. "Yes, of course! I'll have Rhodey drive me home."

He thanked her again, and then she was off toward the stairs, passing the receptionist's desk on the way.

"Good morning," she greeted, smiling still.

"G..good morning, Miss Potts," the girl at the desk stammered, a rosy color filling her cheeks.

Pepper narrowed her eyes slightly in confusion, but kept walking past. She shook her head and cleared the thought from her mind; was it really that strange that she was part of Tony's tech even having worked for him all these years? Not to her. She focused on heading up to the conference rooms instead, testing out her muscles and seeing if she was finally fully healed....it sure seemed that way!

She finally made it to the third floor and claimed an empty one as her own, asking the receptionist on that level to clear the room of any conflicts until further notice. She informed her of the contractors meeting her within the hour, and requested to be notified before sending guests in. It was their usual conference room, so no one else should have had it booked out, but she hadn't had a chance to look at the schedule yet.

Setting her stuff down inside, she let the door close behind her and she pressed a button on the side of the TV to turn it on; Tony hadn't hooked Jarvis up to this part of the building yet. Then, she settled down at the massive round table, feeling alone and empty for the first time...but also, relaxed. Knowing Tony wasn't there to cause any drama for a few days actually made her feel a little better about getting caught up at work, even though she would miss him.

Shaking her head at that thought, she opened her laptop and sifted through emails, but her attention was quickly snapped back to the TV as a news story was reported, featuring shots from the previous night. Her stomach dropped as she listened in and read the headline: CEO...with benefits?

She swallowed hard as a photo of Tony kissing her unconscious self in the Iron Man suit surfaced on the screen. Her hand quickly rose to her mouth, covering her lips. This explained the weird looks and responses she had gotten since arriving...

"Tony Stark recently appointed Miss Virginia 'Pepper' Potts as CEO, stepping down from the company after almost two decades of running it himself. But, was it all a game for him? It seems the assistant-turned-CEO has sparked his own interest outside of the job, leaving many wondering...is she qualified?"

Pepper glared at the screen as they turned to a news reporter on scene, apparently outside the building, who was commenting on her just entering Stark Industries for the first time since the photos were taken.

"We are live here at Stark Industries, where Miss Pepper Potts herself was just escorted into the offices. Tony Stark was not present, and no comments were made. No official statements have been released as of right now, but if we know anything about Mr Stark...this could be just another one of his games."

Then, it flashed back to the news reporter at their set, who was laughing at the indication that everyone assumed Tony was just being Tony with another woman.

"Is Miss Pepper Potts the one to finally tame the great Tony Stark? We'll have more news on this blossoming relationship between the two as it arrives, but until then, let's go back to the scene on the streets..."

Pepper blinked as she dropped her gaze back on her laptop screen, her face burning. Did Tony know bout this? Were the ready to be an official couple? How long could she avoid commenting on everything that was captured from the night before? She groaned internally, trying to ignore the commentating going on about the destruction outside...at least until he called.


	14. Official

By the time one o'clock rolled around, Pepper was knee deep in questions and accusations about the events in the downtown streets the night before. She had a couple calls on hold, two more scheduled to be called back later on in the day, and another one currently on the line, babbling her ear off. She held the phone to her ear with her one hand while the other made doodles on the sheet in front of her; she had given up trying to focus with everything on her mind, and besides, she had heard the same interview from the tens of people she already reported to that morning.

"Uh uh..." she responded with irritation coating her voice as she listened to the man bite her head off over the line.

The editor of the LA Times wanted an inside source and all the details of the battle, but she was not about to give up that information. Instead, she dropped her pen and played with the phone's coils as she listened, waiting for a change to interrupt.

Finally, it came.

"Mr Kirk," she sighed. "I appreciate the concern, but unfortunately my hands are tied and..."

Pepper trailed off as there was a knock on the door before it opened. She looked up, ready to bark at whoever had ignored her orders to leave her be for the day unless it was urgent, but was quickly met by a large assortment of flowers in a ceramic vase being drug into the room by two of the maintenance men. She narrowed her eyes, studying it, before using it as an excuse to get off the call.

"Actually, sir, I'm going to have to call you back," she decided before placing the phone on the receiver again and leaving the other calls on hold for a while longer. "What is this?"

Pepper stood and walked around the desk to study the flowers, but was only given a shrug in return. Sighing, she plucked the card from the bunch, standing to her waist, at least, as the two men retreated back to their daily duties. She traced the outside of the folded paper, admiring the artwork before reading what was inside.

T.S.

That was it. Just T.S.?!

Suddenly, Pepper felt the annoyance bubbling at her grow and she grabbed for her phone, dialing a call to Tony's suit. She knew he had to have made it to the city a few hours ago, and knowing him, he wouldn't hit the penthouse until he felt like he accomplished as much as he could on the tower for the day; he very well may not even sleep at all.

After a few rings, she heard Jarvis connect them; the familiar rush of wind in the background gave away the fact that he was still in the air.

"Hey, honey. How's work?" he grunted, apparently already starting on the supposed heavy lifting.

"T.S.?!" Pepper hissed instantly. "You couldn't even write out your whole name?"

"Uh," he mumbled, caught off guard by her anger. "Did you like my gift?"

"I can't take care of you forever, Tony," she muttered, still fuming.

She almost heard Stark roll his eyes through the breath he sucked in before answering her. "Are they the wrong kind? Or color?" he asked. "I told Jarvis to get roses..."

"Jarvis?!" she repeated, emphasizing the first half of the system's name. "You had Jarvis order me flowers?"

"I had Jarvis help me order you flowers," Tony corrected, trying to dig himself out of the mess.

"Really?"

"I guess I forgot to change the card," he added breathlessly.

Pepper heard the familiar sound of metal clinking and put together that he had landed for the time being to handle her call. She felt a pang of regret wash through her, knowing it was just her nerves about what was being broadcast all over the news, but that didn't help calm her down at all. Yes, Tony had tried, but he also just admitted to buying other women flowers...obviously with no special greeting other than his initials.

"I'll try somethin' else," Tony promised after a moment.

Hearing his defeat, Pepper frowned and sighed again. "It's the thought that counts..."

"So you do like them?"

She could almost hear the smile forming on his lips through the call, causing her to roll her eyes and grin, herself. Though he wouldn't see that, she knew he'd pick up on her lighter tone. He was like a child at times, and it rubbed off on her. But, then again, she may not sound that much better when discussing the rest of the news...

"I love them," she ensured him. "Thank you." A pause. "I take it you saw the news?"

"News?" Stark repeated, his jets sounding up again in the background.

"This isn't an apology?" Pepper asked, shocked; he had really done it just for the sake of making her happy?

"Apology? What for?"

"Are you serious?"

Suddenly, she pictured him frowning.

"Jarvis, pull up the latest web results under my name," she heard him instruct the AI, remembering he could display both her call and other information through the helmet.

"Tony," she argued, wanting to just discuss it between them before he freaked out...or before she freaked out any more.

However, a long silence followed after as she waited for Tony to stop his article search. She suddenly felt every bit of apprehension on the matter dissipate, leaving her biting her lip as she waited for Tony's response. She stopped her pacing and forced herself to sit back down next to her laptop at the conference table and placed her fingers on her temple.

"Huh," Tony finally mustered as his jets were heard powering down and another landing was audible through the call.

"I don't even remember that happening," Pepper admitted quietly.

"So you thought I was apologizing...for-"

"Kissing me?"

"-kissing my girlfriend. That is what you agreed you are, isn't it?"

Pepper swallowed, realizing if she really wanted Tony, she couldn't try to keep him hidden forever. Eventually, the world would know they were dating - if she could even call it that at this point.

"Kinda seems a little hypocritical, doesn't it, Miss Potts?" Stark snapped, making his annoyance known by using her last name.

"Well I-" she began, but was quickly cut off.

"I thought you were dead Pepper!"

Her heart fell as she understood where he was coming from; when she had come to and caught her breath, Tony was well without a heartbeat. She had thought the shrapnel had taken him. With Tony, things would never be easily, and she would constantly be worrying about him the way he had worried about her...hell, she already did that. It didn't make her care for him any less...it just made things...more unpredictable. But, who else could fit the part so perfectly?

"Tony," she managed, realizing he was someone to be proud of, not someone to hide away with, whether the news thought that or not.

"I told you, Pepper, that I was going to protect you. And I couldn't do that." Tony groaned, a headache verbally forming. "Maybe it's a good thing if I just stay away from you. Keep the bad guys on this side of the country."

"Tony, no!" Pepper protested. "That's not-"

"I have to get back to work," he decided, not wanting to argue anymore. "Just...I'll have Jarvis handle the press...so you don't have to be ashamed of me anymore."

Pepper felt dizzy at his words; that wasn't how she felt at all. Well, she was nervous about what the media and the rest of the world thought, but she genuinely knew that Tony had changed, and it was time to prove that to everyone else. He had changed for her. 

"Mr Stark," she begged, but it was too late.

The sound of a call ending beeped on her phone and she sighed, clicking the power button to turn it's screen off. She would give him time to calm down. Maybe, she'd see if Rhodey could give him a ring; usually, he'd listen to his friend. Until then, she would have to focus on her work, and maybe think about getting some things moved into the house...if she did that, there was no way he could stay mad at her; he was too excited about her moving in, even if he didn't show it all that well.

 

 

Tony had a jolt of energy after his argument with Pepper. He needed absolutely anything to keep his mind off of her until they had time to talk it out; he knew the basics of relationships, and talking always came next...right?

It had been almost three and a half days since he had last slept, knowing he was too anxious to go to the penthouse for the nights. The suit kept him on target, reminding him to fuel up every few hours on a new shot or two of espresso; after all, Einstein barely slept as well, so why should Tony Stark?

He had Jarvis block any incoming calls from Pepper - not because he wanted to ignore her, but because he was still trying to find a way to make everything up to her. That, and he really did believe that her life would be easier if Iron Man wasn't around to cause any more mayhem. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he couldn't keep her safe. After all the years she worked for him, something about him knowing she understood his feelings for her just made that aspect of it all worse. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to speak with her, but he insisted the AI not allow him contact - unless it was very urgent - until he finished the main frame on the tower.

The fourth day in New York was coming to a close when he realized he was nearing the end of the project; the Iron Man suit sped up the process by a long shot, and he made a note to make sure he worked on any and all Stark Industries projects in the future, if this was how easy it would be; they'd save a fortune without needing to hire contractors - not that he needed that money, though.

As the sun began to dip behind the horizon, he made landfall again and lifted the faceplate to suck down another espresso shot...hopefully the last one for the day; he didn't want to sleep, but his body was beginning to ache and he hadn't maintained his signature goatee and mustache since, so they felt a little heavy on his face. Then, he dropped the plate again and powered up the jets, making for the top of the tower where he was busy installing his name, in big, blue, light up letter along a balcony where his living quarters would be. He hoped Pepper would enjoy the view of the city as much as he did.

"Sir, you have an incoming call from Colonel Rhodes," his AI informed him as he lifted the 'E' in 'Tower' into place against the building and began using the repulsors to solder it.

"Go ahead and patch him in," Tony granted, actually feeling the need to check in on things.

"Tony," Rhodey's familiar voice scolded immediately on greeting.

"Colonel," Stark snapped back. "I take it this isn't a courtesy call."

"Sort of," Rhodey lied. "Everything okay?"

"Just peachy," Stark grunted as he shifted to attach the bottom to the electrical unit that would eventually light the piece up. "How's Pepper?"

Rhodey rolled his eyes, he was sure of it. "How about you come home and find out yourself?"

"Yeah, uh, well, kinda busy right now," he muttered, dropping back into the sky to observe his work.

"'Busy'?" Rhodey repeated, annoyed. "Tony, you're gonna screw this up if you keep up this little game of yours."

"Not a game," Stark disagreed, going for the last letter, the 'R'. "Doing what she wanted me to do. Put this place together myself."

"You mean the tower you wanted to build?"

"For the company. For Pepper."

"Is it really for Pepper?"

"Yes."

Tony let out a breath, realizing maybe Rhodey was right. Maybe even though the tower would be nice for the two of them, it isn't what he needed to give Pepper right now. After everything that happened, he should be there for her, not the other way around.

"Tony, it's been four days."

He sighed; he definitely lost track of time. "I know," he replied sincerely.

Hearing the commotion in the background as Tony finished up on the last letter of the frame, Rhodey decided to question him. "What are you doing?"

"Just, uh...things," he lied.

"Things?"

"Finishing up. I'll be back soon."

"Just soon?" Rhodey asked. "Tony, I've seen the news. That ridiculous tower is almost done."

"On the outside," Stark countered.

"So take a break. The Fireman's benefit is tomorrow night. Are you really gonna let her go alone again? What's that say for your image?"

"My image?" Tony barked. "My image is shot, platypus. There's no saving my name at this point."

"That's not true, and you know it."

Tony groaned. "Can you just...handle it? Have Happy go or something."

"Handle it?" Rhodey repeated, dumbfounded. "Just for once, Tony, do you think you could have some decency?"

He paused for a moment, thinking. Then, "you're right. You take her."

"Oh, so now I'm part of this? Real smooth, Tony. Real smooth."

"You're the best," Tony answered without thought, trying anything to keep him off his back about it.

"You're gonna die alone someday," Rhodey snapped truthfully, then ended the call.

Tony grimaced, flinching at his friend's words. Yes, he had done Pepper wrong here. At the same time, that was four days that Pepper was without harm. Coincidence? But there was no way he could make it back to Malibu and clean himself up in time for the gala, especially after getting no sleep for going on four days. He needed a shower, a nap, some real food, and perhaps a decent looking tux before going anywhere.

"Jarvis," Stark summoned, landing on the balcony of the level just above the lettering, looking into the big hollow hole that was going to be their suite floor.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do me a favor. Draft up a flight plan to LA. And set an alarm for tomorrow morning at the penthouse."

"Yes, sir. Visiting Miss Potts, are we?"

"Keep this on my personal calendar," he ordered.

"Ah, a secret."

 

"Ready?"

Rhodey's voice broke into Pepper's wandering mind a their car drove up to the end of the walk that lead into the building for the Fireman's benefit. This would be the second consecutive year Tony had no intention on attending...even if he randomly showed up last time to save face. Rhodey had decided to go with her, since Happy was in desperate need of a night off and she knew she would be safe with the Colonel.

She faked a smile and took his hand as he lead her out of the car behind him. Her floor length silver gown, that bore similarities to last year's blue one, draped down to the red carpet as she stood in her heels. She took Rhodey's arm once Happy closed their door and walked with him up the stairs and into the building, trying to ignore the cameras snagging photos of them on their way in; as much as she loved Rhodes, she was hoping to have her first public photos with Tony.

"Miss Potts!" a familiar voice interrupted as they attempted to enter the main ballroom.

She winced slightly before meeting the man's gaze. "Senator Stern. How are you?"

The Senator placed a hand on Rhodey's shoulder in a friendly gesture, though neither Rhodey or Pepper appreciated it.

"Never better. I was hoping Mr Stark would be in attendance so I could congratulate him on his new building in New York..." he mused, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed Pepper's body language in response.

She shrugged it off. "He was hoping to be here, but his schedule just wouldn't allow it."

"Ah," he grunted. "Well perhaps..next year. Third time's a charm, isn't that how that goes?"

"I'm hoping it will work out," she agreed, trying to kill him with kindness.

"At least he lets you off the leash every once in a while," came his snarky reply. "And you as well, Colonel."

"Senator," Rhodey nodded, sparing no time in herding his date for the night off and away from the uncomfortable situation.

"Want a drink?" Rhodey asked, setting Pepper's memory off of when she ordered a martini the year before.

"Please," she caved, knowing it would help her nerves.

He walked her to the bar and held up a peace sign to signal two drinks; she guessed his usual scotch, which she didn't mind since acquiring the taste from Tony's stock. She had gotten used to drinking the amber liquid on the weekends with him in the recent months - the little while after he became Iron Man that he wasn't dying of Palladium poisoning. Relaxing a little by being on the sidelines, Pepper joined Rhodey and observed the crowd dancing and talking in happiness around them.

It was a formal event, sure, but it was easy to fit in, especially for Stark Industries employees. Rhodey didn't stick out in his military attire, either; quite a few members were invited since they did business with the company so frequently. She made a note to have a donation made in Tony' name since he wasn't exactly making weapons for them anymore.

"You okay?" Rhodes asked quietly as he handed her a glass.

Pepper forced another smile, trying to push Tony out of her mind. "I think so," she lied.

"Tony's...just being Tony," Rhodey guessed. "We both know how he gets."

She met his eyes and took a sip from her glass, letting the drink burn her throat on its way down; it was a welcomed burn.

"Mr Stark is a busy man," she replied casually, trying to play off her interest.

"Too busy for you?" Rhodey asked, downing his drink in just a few gulps and setting the empty glass on the bar. "You can't let him do this to you, Pepper."

Pepper sighed and turned toward the rest of the room, brushing a few of her bangs to the side and out of her eyes. She chose to keep her hair up this year; last year it had covered her back, but this year, she remembered how awkward she had felt and went with a less revealing dress.

"Come on," Rhodey decided as he grabbed the drink from her hand and placed it down, making her yelp in surprise.

Pepper blushed as she was pulled to the dance floor. Wandering eyes were on them, and gossip was soon being whispered. She took her place in Rhodey's hand as he placed his on her lower back in a respectful poster, and gently they began twirling to the orchestra as they played. She tried her best to enjoy herself, but no matter what they did, she was still wondering if she should have tried Tony again... None of her calls had gone through the day of their fight, though Jarvis informed her that he was okay, but she still had so much to talk with him about.

"Pepper," Rhodey spoke. "Ignore it. We're here, we're having a good time. They're never going to be on Tony's side."

She glanced around one final time before nodding in agreement, sighing as her shoulders dropped and she eased up. "I just wish they knew the Tony I know."

"You know how the media is."

"You coming with me is going to stir up trouble," she muttered, looking down briefly.

"Stop," he ordered as they continued their friendly dance. "You look great tonight. It's his loss."

That made her smile. Rhodey would never cross any boundaries, that was for sure, but she was used to Tony ogling her and making snide comments about her appeal at events like these, even before they were a couple, so hearing someone compliment her appearance was nice.

"Have you talked to him?" she asked suddenly, wanting more than just Jarvis or the news to tell her he was fine.

His lips quivered as he fought the urge to lie to her. Eventually, he decided on the truth, knowing Pepper could handle it.

"Yesterday. He said he'd be back soon."

"Soon?" she asked, hopeful.

"I'm not sure, Pep." He watched as she held a straight face and studied one of the pins on his blues. "You know he cares, don't you? He just doesn't understand how to show that. Tony's never been good at relationships."

She smirked, almost wanting to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. She looked back up at her friend, knowing he wouldn't just make that up. If anyone knew Tony better than her, it was Rhodes.

"I guess it comes with the Stark name," she joked, knowing she was fully aware of what she was getting into.

"True. But he wouldn't be half the man he is today if it wasn't for you. You keep him in line. More than anyone else could."

She blushed again with the compliment, happy someone appreciated all the hard work she put into her career in the past years. Tony was no easy egg to crack, but once she figured out how to handle him, she could minimize the damage he did to his family name and the company. Though it was tough at times, she knew without her, he would probably be in jail or bankrupt or honestly, worse.

She snapped out of her daydream as she watched Rhodey gaze over her shoulder and raise an eyebrow. Before she could turn or ask him what was wrong, though, she felt a few cold fingers latch onto her bare shoulders from behind. The two stopped swaying with the song and Rhodey released Pepper with a grin.

"Mind if I cut in?" a familiar voice sounded in her ear before she was spun around to face her guest.

"Tony!" Pepper gasped, the surprise and happiness clear on her face.

It was actually him; her boss, her boyfriend, her heartache, before her. Last she knew, he was still in New York.

"I thought you were still working on the tower!" she exclaimed as he took Rhodey's place with his hand on her back and her other in his.

"I was. But I figure it can wait." A smirk turned his lips upwards as she looked him over. "You think I'd miss seeing you all flustered and infatuated with me?"

"That was last year," Pepper snapped, shaking her head playfully.

She looked him up and down, noting his choice in tux and a light blue vest underneath that matched her eyes. His hair was neatly spiked, not slicked back like usual; she never really like it that way, though he insisted wearing it like that to important events.

"You look amazing," he murmured, reading her own thoughts on him.

She felt the fire creeping up into her heart as she met his chocolate eyes, warm with lust and happiness. Here they were, dancing again, but this time, it didn't worry her.

"Can you believe it's already been a year?" she asked, thinking of the last time they danced.

His eyes twinkled, proving he remembered that, too. Then, before she could enjoy it, their light faded.

"Tony," she interrupted, not wanting him to feel bad anymore. She was tired of apologies, believe it or not, but it was her turn. "I'm sorry if-"

"Pep, stop. I don't care about the flowers or the tower or the meetings I missed... I just want to to enjoy this. You, me, here. Dancing."

"In a dress with a back," she tossed in with her own smirk.

He grinned and pulled her body closer to his so their mid sections touched; it was no longer a harmless dance. He watched as she blushed fiercely but didn't take her eyes off his. She placed her free hand on his chest, next to the arc reactor, which hummed faintly underneath, instead of his shoulder, enjoying their intimacy and forgetting the rest of the people around them who were surely watching them with interest. His eyes burned into hers, just as they had the first time they had danced, trying to read her like a book.

"Pepper, you have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now," he whispered, his breath lingering on her face.

She pondered the statement for a moment, then swallowed hard. "What's stopping you, Mr Stark?" she asked innocently.

His eyes widened slightly at her remark as the song ended and the music paused, forcing them into a break in their dance, as well. Only, he held onto her, not letting her back away even an inch.

"There's cameras. And people. And-"

"It's okay," she breathed, inching closer to him.

It was okay. They knew. It was all over the news, all over the internet. Now, it was time to prove them wrong. Prove that Tony Stark could have a relationship and that Pepper Potts was good enough for Stark Industries.

"Okay?" he repeated, his eyes roaming hers for explanation.

She nodded slightly and bit her lower lip, sliding both hands from him and wrapping them around his neck. It was his signal...her approval for everything.

Pepper waited impatiently as he brushed his free hand across her forehead, moving her loose hair aside and tracing his palm down to her neck. It was agony, waiting for him to reach her, just as it was the year prior as she waited for that first initial kiss that never came. She felt his warm breath just inches from her as he softly pulled her in, making her want it more than he did.

Then, finally, she felt his soft lips brush hers kindly before he pulled away slightly. She tightened her grip on his neck, fingers digging into his skin, begging him for more. It was all he needed to give in and fully press his mouth to hers, giving her a full apology in the way he embraced her without caring what the rest of the attendees thought of it. Hell, if he had it his way, he wouldn't have changed the last year...it was better having them all know...having everyone witness it. Pepper was his, and he was hers, and he was definitely a changed man because of it.


	15. A Day Off

"You uh...you wanna get a drink?" was the first thing Tony asked when he finally, reluctantly pulled away from Pepper's lips.

She grinned at him, her smile warmly accepting his invitation, and soon they were headed back toward the bar. Tony ignored the girls with prying eyes as he leaned on the counter, ordering them two drinks, and then gently took her hand in his and squeezed it. Pepper blushed at the contact, looking around the room and forcing an awkward smile at the people she knew from work.

"Is this making you uncomfortable?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he turned back to Pepper.

"It's...different," she answered, settling on an acceptable word.

"...good different?" he pushed.

She raised an eyebrow and took a sip of the second martini he ordered her as he grabbed ahold of his scotch with his free hand.

"So far," she teased.

"Just wait until later."

Tony's eyes burned into her with mischief darkening them as he pressed the glass to his lips. His usual smirk was plastered on his face, tugging at his lips. He was focused on her, and only her, but she liked it. She returned the playful look with one of her own, until they were kindly interrupted by Rhodey, who placed his hand on Tony's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it," he teased his friend.

"What?!" Pepper gasped at his words. "You knew he was coming?"

Tony grinned widely, proud of himself for keeping the secret.

Rhodey let out a small laugh and shrugged. "He's a man of many secrets."

"Come on, Pep," Stark added, "you think I wanted to go a week without talking with you?"

"Well, it wasn't really a whole week... You could've answered my calls."

"It wouldn't have had the same effect."

She set her glass down on the bar. "You're right, I would have been much, much less upset with you."

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but the trio was added to as a familiar face stepped into the group. He sighed and rolled his eyes, clenching onto Pepper's hand tighter at the sight of the Vanity Fair reporter.

"You know, we should just make this an anniversary," Stark muttered as he locked eyes with the blond.

Christine forced a smile back cooley, but held a formal tone. "Mr Stark," she greeted. "Miss Potts. I was hoping for a statement."

"On?" Stark asked, focused now on his glass.

"I'm um...gonna head out," Rhodey decided, gesturing between the two as the tension grew. "I'll see you in New York?"

Stark nodded. "Yeah. Give us like...two weeks? Two weeks sounds good."

"I'll call you," Rhodes agreed before leaving them alone with the leech.

Pepper mouthed 'two weeks' back at Stark as a question, but never got an answer. Instead, he cleared his throat as Everhart pressed on.

"How do you think this newly announced relationship will effect the order at Stark Industries?" she jumped in, holding out her recorder.

Tony stared at it instead of her. "I think I'll want to go to the office more often," he offered.

"Are personal relationships...accepted at work?" Her eyes narrowed.

"They should be-" he began, but Pepper cut him off, sending an icy smile at the girl.

"Mr Stark is going to be focusing on the Iron Man suit."

"And who will be overseeing the new office in New York?" Christine pressed. "The building is almost finished, is it not?"

"Yes," Stark nodded at the same time as Pepper answered.

"Let's focus on getting the tower built," Potts responded.

Raising an eyebrow, the blond realized no information would easily come from Pepper, and now that Stark wasn't going to talk to her without his assistant and girlfriend on hand, she dropped the questions.

"Shall we?" Tony asked, placing his glass down and holding out his arm for Pepper to take.

She released his hand and grabbed his arm instead, deciding it was time to go home. Though he had just made it there, Pepper had been at the event since it began, and didn't feel bad ditching at this point in the night.

"Any statement from you, Miss Potts?" was the woman's last attempt.

Pepper smirked and rubbed Tony's upper arm. "After all these years, I don't think I'll be picking up the dry cleaning anymore... Perhaps you know someone looking for a job?"

It was enough to make Christine fume as the two headed outside, past the eyes still locked on their every move. It was her best banter back; when they first met, it was the first thing the woman had shaded her with, and she thought about that daily. But, now it was true...after all these years of back and forth, they had finally figured things out between them.

Pepper made a point to smile for the paparazzi who bombarded them outside as they made their way down the stairs of the Disney Concert Hall and to the street where they had Tony's car waiting. He let go of Pepper but wrapped an arm around her waist as he graciously tipped the valet. Then, he opened her door for her and stood around in case she needed help getting in. Once she was settled, he hopped around the front of the car to drop into the driver's seat and start the engine.

"Where to, Miss Potts?" he asked deviously, shifting the gear before taking off.

She thought for a moment. "To the stars," she answered, feeling free willed as she glanced up at the clear, summer sky.

Tony placed his hand on her leg and squeezed gently, but kept his focus on the road as he drove off toward their home.

"Oh, I'll show you stars," he promised.

 

 

Pepper stirred in bed, the sun was yet to shine through the windows, letting her know they still had several hours until Jarvis was set to wake them up. The faint glow of Tony's arc reactor lit up the room like a nightlight as he breathed evenly. She blinked sleepily, smiling slightly at the comfort it brought to her. She missed it in the last few days.

Now that she was awake, a million things flew through her mind. She hated that; being CEO put an entirely new kind of pressure on her, and she knew eventually Tony would give it completely back to her...he was busy with other things, and the whole co CEO thing wasn't really benefiting anyone. She made a mental note to talk to him about that at some point.

Sighing, she gently pushed herself from his arms and padded to the bathroom in nothing but his shirt from the night before. The AI switched on the lights dimly as she shut the door a tad behind her, trying not to let the light hang on Tony as he slept. Then she looked herself over in the mirror, examining her tousled hair and the makeup still left on her face; they barely made it to the bed when they got home, but she didn't mind; he took his time, surprisingly - whether or not it was to apologize or to prove he was serious about the relationship, she wasn't sure.

She took some cold water and splashed it on her face to wipe the mascara from her eyes, then dabbed at her cheeks with the hand towel near her. She closed her heavy lids and let her shoulders fall, trying to focus on the night before and not all of the hundreds of things she had to rearrange now that he was home.

Then, Pepper felt a familiar warmth as strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. She grinned and relaxed into his embrace, feeling the tickle of Tony's goatee on her shoulder as he placed a kiss on her neck.

"Everything okay?" he mumbled with sleep still heavy on his voice.

Pepper grinned at his childish demeanor and opened her eyes to look at him through the mirror. "Did I wake you?"

"I was already up."

"Liar," she accused playfully, earning a mutter of something inaudible from Stark as his lips tugged up in a smile.

"Come back to bed?" he pleaded.

"I will," Potts promised. "I just needed a second."

He frowned, meeting her blue eyes in the mirror. Now, he was more awake.

"You're doing it again," he observed.

"Doing what?"

"Over thinking."

He knew her well, and he knew that she was already set on planning their day. He, on the other hand, had a different agenda.

"Well, the board is going to have a field day with everything we gave them last night," she began, tensing up slightly under his hold. "And I have to see if GQ still wants you for that shoot. That was supposed to be today."

"It's Sunday," he groaned. "Take a day off."

"Stark Industries doesn't take a day off, Tony," she answered quickly.

"I'm afraid I've already forwarded all of your calls to Happy for the day," he informed her.

Pepper raised an eyebrow and spun around in his arms so she could face him. She almost spaced out, realizing he was only in his slim fit boxers, and she felt her cheeks flush as memories of the night prior floated back again. They were a couple now, officially. This...he, was hers. She shuddered, knowing how strange it still felt at times, but still, it felt normal.

"You what?" she finally choked out, remembering their discussion.

"Come on, Pep. It's one day."

She sighed again, loudly, and let go. He was right. And she couldn't fight those eyes.

"Fine, but...just one day. And only if I can reschedule for the photos on Monday. I think I can squeeze it in after the board meeting, if you're sticking around."

"I am," he promised. "But only if you'll go out with me tonight."

"Out?"

He nodded slightly, replacing the sleepy grin on his face as he relaxed knowing Pepper was in agreement with him. "Remember that place on Sunset next to the art showcase..."

"The Italian restaurant?" she gasped, smiling widely.

"Mhmm," he confirmed. "We have reservations at eight."

Pepper pressed her lips softly to his after a warm smile entertained them. Tony responded eagerly, but to her surprise, didn't push anything else. Instead, he gave a small kiss to her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

He continued. "And the rest of the day...is for us."

"A whole day with you?" she teased. "How will I ever survive?"

"You've been through worse," he answered, nibbling at her neck instead.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him lift her up and carry her back to bed.

 

 

After another short nap, Pepper finally woke up for good around ten in the morning - the latest she had slept since she was a kid. Tony wore her out, but who would expect otherwise? Most of the time, it was like babysitting a child, but if it wasn't that, they had grown accustomed to winding up in his bedroom...among other places. She honestly never remembered feeling so blissful in a long while.

"Good morning, Miss Potts," Jarvis chimed in after a few moments. "Mr Stark is downstairs and requested your presence once you were awake."

"Thanks, Jarvis," Pepper answered kindly, observing the empty side of the bed next to her.

She grabbed her shirt from the floor after stepping outside of the sheets and pulled it on as she worked her way downstairs to the workshop, worrying about what Tony was possibly up to already. She hated the idea of him leaving again, and she wasn't looking forward to him deciding to leave, if he was working on the suit or something of the likes.

"Tony?" she called as she hopped down the stairs, glad to be back on her own two feet.

She entered to the familiar music, but to her amusement, Stark turned it down himself and looked over at her. He was perched on top of one of his tool cabinets, feet hanging off the edges, as he poked and prodded at a giant hologram of the new Stark tower.

"Hey gorgeous," he greeted, widening his hands to focus on the level with the balcony.

"What is that?" she asked, her eyes wide with awe.

"This," he began, observing her reaction as he focused on the living area of that level. "Is our new suite in New York."

"Our new...suite?" she repeated, stepping closer to it.

Stark hopped down from his seat on the high ground and shoved his hands in his pockets, then met her at her side. He flashed a closed grin at her that tugged at his eyes and made them wrinkle at the edges; she loved when he acted so sheepish like that...it made him look ten years younger...before the whole arc reactor thing put him through hell and back.

Her eyes scanned his face, then the model of the tower again. "It's...it's..."

"It's yours," he told her simply. "To decorate and everything. You do a better job of it, anyway."

She whipped her head back to him, her mouth agape. "Are you sure?"

He popped up on his toes briefly, then removed a hand from one pocket and spun the diagram around again. "I promised Rhodey a room, too. In exchange for help with the reactor. But we'll put the rest of it together first."

"Is that why he mentioned coming over in two weeks?"

"Yeah, I uh, figured we could meet him there. Finish up some things. We can set up the arc while you decide on the interior, and-"

"I love it," she grinned, placing a hand on his chest and wrapping the other around him as she leaned into his toned body.

"Yeah?"

"Just...maybe remove the 'tower' part. 'Stark' is enough. They know it's a tower."

"They?"

"People. The world. You're famous, or don't you remember?" she mocked, teasing him again.

He closed out the display and smile at her again. "I'll think about it. Let's get it up and running first."

"You think you can pull it off?"

"I think...you can help me figure that part out. We'll need you to work with Jarvis while we set everything up."

She nodded shortly. "I think I can handle that."

"Good. It'll be a work in progress. For a while. I gotta work on the calculations a little more, but I think I can get us at least six months."

"Six months running on the arc energy?" she asked, stunned. "Tony! Do you have any idea-"

"I'm a genius, Pep, remember?"

"-how...how ridiculous you are?" she finished slowly and articulately, altering her question as he flashed his cocky side of Tony at her again.

"Right." He sniffed, then kicked at the ground, trying his hardest not to make a sassy comeback. Thankfully, his stomach growled, reminding him he was waiting for her eat breakfast. "How about I go finally make you that omelette I owe you?"

"I would love that," she purred, running her hand up and down his back and sending chills down his spine.

"Then I was thinking pool day? Movies? Whatever you want."

Pepper felt her heart flutter at the thought of having Tony to herself for an entire day while they were on good terms. They rarely took a break from their bickering, but perhaps it was just all sexual tension... Things seemed to be going great since revealing their relationship, and even though she hadn't had access to anything Stark Industries for the day, she had a good feeling about it all.

"J, shut everything down. Rest mode until we leave tonight."

"Anything for you, sir," the AI responded.

Then, they were left in silence, enjoying their day until it was time for date night.

 

 

Pepper had decided, for the first time since Tony had made her sit outside with him when she was first hired, to take advantage of the gorgeous day and lay by the pool, looking out over the blue ocean. The sound of the waves hitts the bottom of the cliffs under the house were easily heard as she sighed deeply and set down her book.

"Really?" she asked when Tony spit some water her direction from the pool's edge.

"What's the point of having a pool if you never use it?" Stark confronted.

"It's your pool," Potts argued from her lounge chair.

"Our pool," he corrected. "Don't think I didn't notice my closet being taken over."

Pepper blushed slightly at Tony's comment. "You...you never even use your closet! I'm usually the one picking out your clothes."

He raised an eyebrow, his hair slicked back and wet as he rested his chin on her arms along the side of the pool. The rest of his body was submerged in the water and hidden from her. She was thankful...this would be a much less focused conversation if he was visible to her.

"What?" she asked, now amused by his reaction; it was much more casual than she expected...after all, Tony Stark hadn't really lived with a woman before.

"Nothing," he lied. Then, "I like it when you're all flustered like this."

"Does it bother you, Mr Stark?" she asked with her velvet voice that drove him crazy.

Tony ducked his head under the water, then resurfaced and pushed himself out of the pool with his strong arms. The water dripped off of him and made his swim trunks hang heavy, and she did not mind in the slightest. Pepper swallowed, trying to make sure she didn't get caught up in looking him over, even though technically, it was okay now. She had had to hide it for so many years, it didn't feel right sometimes still.

Breaking her panic, Tony grabbed the towel off of the table next to her, sprinkling a few drops of water onto her hot skin in the process. She sucked in a breath as she felt their cool temperature against her, but enjoyed it as he dabbed off his face.

"You know, you don't have to cover up like that," he changed the subject, motioning toward the button down shirt she had over her shoulders and open in the front.

"It's sunny. I burn," she argued.

He smirked. "You look stunning, Pep. And that suit is perfect on you."

Her blush strengthened as she glanced down at the black bikini she wore. "It was a gift, from you."

"I like buying you clothes, don't I...?" he muttered. "We need to change that. Go the opposite direction. Less is more, right?"

She didn't answer, but wiped the water drops from her leg.

"I'll get you something better for your birthday next year," he continued.

"It was a Christmas present," she countered.

"Right."

Tony pressed his lips together in frustration; he hated how impersonal he had been with her and he owed her after all the years of sweeping important dates under the rug. He paused, frowning, and sat on the chair beside hers, then trying to dry his damp hair with the towel.

"I'll do better, Pep. Promise," he told her, staring at the ground.

She sighed and sat up to hang her feet over the edge of her chair and face him, pulling the shirt over her shoulders to make sure it didn't fall off. She hated this part of the relationship; Tony second guessing himself. She knew what she was getting into with him, and she knew there'd be speed bumps, but they seemed to take a bigger toll on him than her.

"Tony, everything is perfect," she promised in return.

He forced a smile and looked up at her with his chocolate eyes and looked her face over. "This is why I love you."

She smiled, herself, at his words. He didn't usually come off this soft, but it was a new side of him she was beginning to like.

"Mr Stark, Mr Hogan has arrived," Jarvis suddenly interrupted, informing Tony on his phone, which was set on the table next to Pepper's book.

Groaning, Tony rose from the chair and shot Pepper an apologetic look before heading for the living space. "I guess I'll go get ready."

Pepper chuckled at his saddened voice, realizing their day was coming to an end. But, they had forever to have many, many repeats. She was already wishing for another one full of nothing but breakfast food, poolside resting, and time in bed. She stretched and then decided to follow Stark in and get herself into something nice; she always sort of dressed professional with Tony, but she wanted to find something special for their first actual date out in public.

Forgetting they had company, Pepper awkwardly paused when she walked into the room, seeing Happy sitting at the island of the kitchen speaking with Tony. They had both seen Tony naked an outrageous number of times in the past few years, so it was nothing new for him to be moseying around in a pair of swim trunks, but Potts was a different story. She felt hot and tried to cover her embarrassment as he did a double take when she approached.

"Hi, Happy..." she greeted, trying to look confident.

"Miss...Potts..." he mumbled back, abruptly looking back to Tony as he cleared his throat.

Pepper glanced at the two, then at Happy's hands, which were holding a small box open in front of Tony. Stark eyed him, shooting him a warning again before Happy finally closed it stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Tony?" she questioned.

"Yes dear?"

"Is that...?" she began, not knowing what to say...had she just seen a ring?!

"It's uh..." Tony scratched his head nervously. "Hey, Hap, have you told Pepper about your new girl?"

"What?" Hogan asked, not picking up on Stark's queues until Tony blinked profusely at him. "Oh. Yeah. Nice girl. Her name's...Danielle."

Pepper squinted as she analyzed the two, but decided to humor them as it took the spotlight off of her almost naked body.

"Why haven't you mentioned her before?" she asked, trying to sound guilty.

Happy opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find words.

After a moment, Tony tried to push things along. "He just um, wanted an opinion on-"

"A wedding ring?"

"Yeah," Happy confirmed, glancing back and forth between the two.

Tony cleared his throat again, then wandered over to Pepper and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, how about we go get ready. We should be on our way in..."

"Forty-five minutes, sir," his driver answered, glad to finally talk about something else.

Pepper tried to read Tony, but his face was steady, so she nodded and agreed to be ushered toward their bedroom; she knew she'd need a while to apply makeup and get her hair to lay right, so she didn't argue.

Tony lead her, his hands still holding her frame, but turned his head over his shoulder back at Happy.

Thank you, he mouthed, giving him an approving grin as an apology for the uncomfortable situation.

It didn't take long for her to jump on him, though. After a quick shower together, she found herself applying her earrings in the mirror as Tony carefully toyed with his hair and some gel, trying to make each piece lay perfectly. Usually it was Pepper who worked with it, so it was amusing to watch him struggle to get it exactly how she did it.

"You know, you'd think I'd get the hang of this..." he muttered, getting slightly agitated.

Pepper glanced at him through the reflective surface and watched as he gave her a lopsided grin. He had already changed into a suit, but the shirt hung loose and unbuttoned underneath his jacket, revealing the blue glow from the arc in the center of his chest. She admired it for a moment before reconnecting their eyes.

"So, Happy's getting engaged, is he?" she asked plainly.

Stark froze and she watched his uncomfortable swallow before he toweled off his hands and decided his hair was as good as it was going to get.

"That's the story," he answered shortly.

She smirked at him once she finished her earrings and turned to face him. "You know I pay your credit card bills, right?"

He stared at her in confusion until it processed. "I do now."

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest and smiled at him. "I know you bought the ring, Tony."

His lips tugged up in a side smile guiltily. "Guilty," he finally admitted. "But can you blame me?"

She shook her head and moved over to run her hand over his bare chest under his shirt, his other on his shoulder. "Let's just get through the first date, Stark," she teased.

"In my defense," he answered, turning his head toward her. "I don't have any plans on-"

"Don't finish that," she told him, shutting him up.

"-asking yet." His grin widened. "Can't blame a guy for trying. You're a catch, Pep."

She smacked him lightly under his shirt before moving off of him and progressing toward the door to make her way back to the kitchen with Happy. Tony watched her walk away, struggling to keep composed as her hips swayed in the little black dress she wore.

"Finish getting dressed!" she ordered from over her shoulder, giving him a last smirk before she disappeared through the door frame of the bedroom.


	16. Work Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so so so so much for keeping up with this story! It was my first Iron Man fic, and I know it's a bit sloppy, but...oh well. One day I'll go through and fully edit this, but until then, I hope you enjoyed, and please feel free to snoop on my other fics! Plenty more of Pepperony, and more, to come from the others I have posted!

Tony escorted Pepper into the restaurant as Happy dropped them off, taking the car for a spin while they ate. It was definitely different, Tony grabbing her hand in his and placing a kiss to the side of her head while they waited to speak with the woman at the front desk. It was...odd, but at least they were finally out in the open. She still felt a little wary about it, especially with the flashes from photographs and the whispers around them, but it was beginning to become the new normal. She was always a part of this, just not...the center of it.

"You okay?" Tony asked before they approached the greeter.

She smiled delicately. "Fine, why?"

"You look a little nervous."

He flashed her a grin and before she could tease him back, he squeezed her hand and alerted the greeter of their reservation.

"Stark," he said plainly, looking at her list for her.

"Right," the woman mumbled; she kept her head down as she was scribbling on their name list instead of looking up for proof. "I guess that would make me Pepper Potts."

Tony couldn't help but smirk and glanced at Pepper, begging her to speak up, and she did.

"No, that would be me," Potts answered for him, keeping her face as straight as possible.

Finally, the greeter snapped her head up, her face flushing when she laid eyes on the couple. Apparently word had really gotten around from the night before if she knew to be expecting them together. On a date. In public.

"I'm...I'm so sorry. Mr Stark, miss Potts...right this way," she stammered, grabbing two menus as she rushed to make up for the attitude.

Tony parted his hand from Pepper's but instead placed it in the small of her back to guide her along with him to their table. She smiled warmly, enjoying the small touch and trying to ignore the eyes of those on them as they walked into the busy seated area.

When they arrived, Tony passed the greeter a bill and requested their drinks, then made a motion to pull out Pepper's chair and help her into it himself. 

"What are you doing?" Pepper whispered as she sat down and he pushed her in. "Everyone's watching!"

"What, Tony Stark can't take his girlfriend to a nice dinner?" he asked, next seating himself. "Contrary to popular beliefs, I can be a decent boyfriend."

"Popular?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That would suggest you've had more than one girlfriend."

"I have," he agreed, looking over the menu briefly as the greeter made her way back with a bottle of fine wine and proceeded to pour it for them.

"What?!" Pepper gasped. "How did I not know about this?! Who?!"

"Well, you're not gonna believe this, but one time, in grade school, I had this really hot teacher, and-"

"Tony!"

She kicked him lightly under the table, earning a high pitched, hearty laugh to escape his frame as his cheeks met the corner of his eyes. She couldn't help but start laughing, herself, at the ridiculousness behind his statement. Whatever had gotten into him, she liked it.

"Thank you," she added toward the waitress, realizing their company.

She feigned a smile and asked for their order, to which Tony told him to put in his earlier request...furthering the proof that he really had planned this out. It was completely unlike him in every way.

"You...really put some effort into this, didn't you?" Pepper asked after a shared smile and a glance down at her wine glass.

He cocked an eyebrow and studied her, furthering her blush as he took a sip of his own.

"You underestimate me, Miss Potts."

"I guess I do," she agreed, her eyes meeting his again.

After he set his glass down, he shifted oddly in his seat and patted down his jacket across his torso, making himself more comfortable.

"Is something wrong?" Potts pressed, sensing his slight discomfort.

Tony let out a slight huff of an amused laugh, now tapping his fingers on the table restlessly.

"Funny, isn't it?" he asked after a while.

Pepper's brow pressed together in confusion. Had she missed the joke?

"I don't follow."

He sighed and let his gaze travel over her and down to her hands rested on her lap, hidden by the table. Tony wasn't good with words; he never had been. But despite everything that had happened, it still felt just a little weird. Maybe not weird that it was Pepper and Tony finally...together, but just weird since...well, they had been friends for quite a while. So, acting upon certain things and feelings was still hard to get used to.

"Things," he answered simply. "Between us."

"Are you...are you already breaking up with-" she manages, suddenly shocked, but Tony cuts her off.

"No, no! Not at all. I just...Pep, I'm trying here."

She tilts her head, trying to understand, until he goes on.

"I love you, but," he starts, then realizes that really isn't helping her not panic. "Shit. I mean... It's still a little weird, you know? You, me... I've...never really done this whole relationship thing and you..."

"Me?"

"Well, you're sitting there in that dress and...looking hot, by the way. But uh...I don't know, I mean just think of how long it took us to get here."

"Almost ten years," she confirms.

"Right. It's just, the kissing and the sex...God the sex is-"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there, " Pepper mutters under her breath as she nervously glances around. "Tony, this isn't really a conversation meant for public... If you want...to end this, I-"

"No, you're right," he agrees. "And I don't want to. I don't mean that. I mean...I guess I still can't really believe you're my... and we're... But in a good way. Pep, a couple months ago I was bringing home girls in front of you and leaving you to kick them out and..."

She looks at him with worried, yet understanding eyes as her body relaxes. He's trying to apologize, but he's also speaking her mind. It's still sort of awkward trying to decipher how much the relationship has faded from boss to boyfriend, assistant to girlfriend. It's something she never thought would happen but now, Tony Stark, her employer, is taking her to dinner and telling her he loves her. Her brain hasn't quite absorbed that yet.

"I don't deserve you, Pep," he finished quietly, grabbing at his glass again to stop his shaking hands.

She smirked slightly, enjoying him on his toes for once. But she can't play him long...she doesn't want the games anymore.

"It's a little...weird...I guess," she settled on. "But I like it. We just need...to adjust. You know? Big change."

He swallowed his sip and sets the glass down, and that's when Pepper reached for his hands, gripping them in her own warmth. He looked at her, suddenly focused as she keeps speaking, ignoring the murmurs from the guests nearby who paid close attention to her actions.

"You're different now, you know," she said rather quietly. "I mean, you're still Tony, but you're not as..."

"Annoying?" he quipped playfully, getting a small grin from the red head.

"Not as...sexually driven, I guess."

Tony raised an eyebrow, studying her. If anything, he was even more sexually driven with her, but he got her point. No more girls...only one party. Well, since he found out he was dying, anyway.

"Tony, I knew what I was getting into when I started working for you," Pepper added. 

"Doesn't matter. It took this stupid metal circle in my chest to make me realize you're the only thing that's ever understood me," Tony answered as though he forgot the room around them. 

Pepper watched him for a moment as she tried to process, then shook her head and let his hands go.

"Do the shoot with me," Stark suddenly begged, not taking his eyes off of the woman seated across from him.

"What?"

"Do the shoot with me," he repeated. "Tomorrow. The photo shoot."

"For the magazine?" she asked dumbly, not sure if she should accept or not. 

He narrowed his eyes. "Scared?"

Pepper blinked, her cheeks reddening quickly. "No...no, why do you think that?"

"This whole going public thing is tough, I know."

"That's not it, I just-"

"Don't want to put it in print? Then it'd be too official?"

"No!" she snapped, then let her shoulders rest. "It's just...about Iron Man. And the Expo."

"Which you handle on a daily basis," Stark pointed out. "Plus, you can mention the Tower in the interview."

"I'm doing that, too?"

"You're CEO," he said with a smile. "And my girlfriend, which brings me to my next point."

She grimaced, worried about what was coming next, but patiently waited as the hyper scramble of words flowed from him.

"I think...we should take a small...two week vacation."

"Two weeks isn't small," Pepper argued, frowning. "And I can't miss any more work..."

"Well, it's my name on the building, and I say you can," he pressed. "Come on, Pep. Just us. A little...alone time. No Iron Man, no Stark Industries... I'm a billionaire. We can go anywhere...Hawaii? A redo of Moncao? Name it and we'll go."

Pepper raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in thought. Would it be so bad to see the two of them in a suggestive pose on the front of a magazine on the news stands? It might spread the word that she was sort of insane for dating Tony Stark, but it might also make the point of he is off the market. No more girls expecting a one night stand, no more expected parties...

"Pepper?" she heard him ask, apparently not the first time since his last remark.

She blinked to clear her thoughts. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll do it with you," she caved.

Tony grinned from ear to ear, taking her comment as an innuendo instead. "Now? At dinner? Potts, you frisky-"

"The photos!" she gasped, blush deepening. "And...maybe the vacation. But only if you'll let me check in with the board in the mornings."

"Okay. Good. Done," he agreed hungrily, proud of the fact that he finally got Pepper Potts to agree to taking time off. "I'll get Jarvis on it."

"We'll talk about it tonight." She fixed her dress and stood from the table. "I'm going to use the restroom, Mr Stark. Think you can behave yourself until dinner comes?"

"Only if you'll do it with me after," he teased, but she knew he was agreeing.

Pepper rolled her eyes, then made her way to the front hall where the restroom was located, deep in thought about the photos the next day.

 

 

Pepper sighed, dropping the magazine featuring her and Tony on the table top. Her tanned hand ran through her hair as she sighed. They knew what they were getting into when they showed up to the shoot, but weren't aware of the photographer snapping a few candid photos of the two of them when they thought they were off camera. Pepper had her arm around a sitting Stark, her other on his chest next to the arc, and he had his hand suggestively placed on her thigh over the hem of her dress as they shared a laugh. She tried to remember what it was about, but nothing came to mind...something about the night before, if she had to guess.

The red head blushed, thinking of the rest of dinner; she had come back to Tony signing an autograph for a small child, probably about ten or eleven, who recognized him as Iron Man. It was adorable; she hadn't seen him interact with any kids lately, and it gave her hope that maybe, someday...but only if their lives settled down a little. Right now, there was no room for normalcy. 

They made their way back to the bedroom rather quickly, but after the fact, in the dim glow of the arc reactor in the darkness, they had planned on actually using the yacht Stark owned. He may have only been on it once or twice, ever, so they decided to take her for a spin off the coast of Mexico. No interruptions, just Pepper, Tony, and...well, he brought one suit just in case, that Pepper insisted was kept hidden and out of his grasp; no tinkering.

She chuckled a bit at the magazine, reading the side print of Arc technology: Can it Work? as she remembered his ideas he ran by her before they left. They had put the house and Jarvis on the arc to test out the power source for the Tower, and it came with a huge success. She kept watch in the mornings, as Tony had allowed her, and after several reports from Happy, the reactor was self sustaining the mansion without error. All from his core, his arc. All from her Tony.

"So you all good in here?" she heard from across the room.

Pepper glanced up, watching as her boyfriend strutted toward her in black cargo pants and a slim fit black top. Her eyes danced over his figure; it suited him well.

"I think so. Just enter in the code on your signal. How hard can it be?"

"Oh, it's very hard," Stark teased, coming in for a kiss as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Pepper smacked his chest, grinning against his lips before pushing him away. She was nervous; right now, the Tower, which she had helped finish a few days prior, was running on regular electricity. But, if all went well, when Tony cut the power lines and rerouted them to the arc core, the place would light up under the familiar blue energy, setting up both their house and the Tower to run without relying on anyone else...self sustaining, again. It had taken some focus and coding, but being the genius Tony is, he figured it out with two nights, tops. Plus, Rhodey had agreed to help Pepper set up the inside while he spent the full two days locked in the lab. IT was the best trade off she had, but it was all worth it.

"Save it for date night," she scolded as he detached from her and wandered out onto the balcony, where he would have Jarvis and the bots help him suit up on his new platform.

"Date night," he agreed. "Right. Give me, uh...give me ten minutes?"

"Don't be late."

Tony bit his lip, picking up the seductive tone she gave him. "Not a second."

She sighed. "And...be careful."

"Always."

Pepper watched from inside as he suited up, then launched himself out toward the Atlantic Ocean, where the power lines ran under water. The suit was new, not a prototype or battle worn, so there was no chance of failure under water. Unless something happened while he was rerouting the lines, he'd be back quickly.

Then, the holograms he gave her opened to the touch of her hand and she stood in front of them, readying her information and connected the video feed to Stark's helmet. Jarvis greeted her, then placed the camera from inside the helmet on her right side, a view of where he was looking on the left. The Tower's stats stood boldly in the middle, along with her controls.

"Let me know if you need help," she said quietly as she watched him submerge into the water. 

Pepper held her breath, glancing at the magazine to the side again, but reminded herself he'd been through many, many other situations that were far worse than going for a swim.

"See, I knew you wanted to try out a suit," Tony commented.

She grinned, watching him tug at the pipe line, place a compact piece on the side, and open the gauge for the laser he had installed in this Mark to weld the two together and cut off the lines so the Tower would fully function on the arc.

"Not what I said, Stark," she snapped playfully.

"You say that now. Ah! Shit," he mumbled, groaning.

"Tony? Tony, you okay?" she asked, breathless as she waited for a reply.

Pepper scanned the screens for any sign of damage to his suit, but he seemed to be doing fine with the welding.

"Yeah," he coughed out. "Just got my boot stuck. Got it, fine now."

Pepper exhaled loudly, relief flooding over her, which made Tony laugh in amusement. She loved his laugh, but not at her expense.

"Relax, Potts," he heaved out.

"That's impossible with you," she mumbled as the decide lit up, signaling the wiring complete.

Then, the Iron Man suit was jetting out of the ocean and back into the air, water flying free from the outer camera and taking a second to focus again before she watched him fly through the buildings.

"You're good on this end," he informed her when he was on his way back. "The rest is up to you."

Already? Pepper knew he was intelligent and whatever else when it came to this stuff, but that was definitely well under his ten minute expectation.

"You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?" she asked.

Then, she loaded up the coding and started typing in the instructions Tony left, it memorized in her brain by this point.

"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy," he confirmed.

Pepper couldn't mask her shock. "Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over and it actually works?"

"I assume. Light her up," he instructed, and she hit enter on the other end, rerouting the energy source to the arc instead of the city power lines.

"How does it look?" Potts asked after a moment, though the display from Tony's outside helmet proved to her it worked; the letter on the outside bore his name and shone a bright blue against the city's night skyline.

"Like Christmas, but with more... me," she heard him answer after a moment, making her roll her eyes and attempt to ignore it and change the subject...typical Tony.

"Gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign," she offered, thinking about the interview lying on the table beside her. "You need to do some press. I can do some more tomorrow. I'm working on the zoning for the next billboards."

"Pepper, you're killing me," he groaned again as he approached the landing pad. "Remember? Enjoy the moment."

Pepper smirked, then glanced at the clock; just about eight minutes. He made it, in with time to spare.

"Then get in here and I will."

She closed the lines as he landed shortly after, then watched impatiently as his AI slowly disassembled the suit and put it back into storage.

Tony walked slowly down the stairs and toward the inside, earpiece still in, as the pieces were freed from his body. Not a drop of water, just as he had expected. He had to make a note to use the same system on the future suits in case anything required some under water work.

"Sir," Jarvis interrupted through the earpiece, making him raise an eyebrow. "Agent Coulson of SHIELD is on the line."

"I'm not in," he insisted. "I'm actually out."

"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting."

Tony focused as he wandered off the pad and toward the door; he made Pepper a promise...one more date night before vacation was over. "lose the line Jarvis. I got a date."

He ignored all further pressing from the AI as he strode inside, immediately joining the woman standing in front of the displays and stats on the Tower.

"Levels are holding steady... I think," she told her boyfriend as he joined her, tossing the earpiece aside and letting it lie on the table.

"Of course they are, I was directly involved," he joked. "Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?"

Pepper rolled her eyes for what was the second of many times that night. Leave it to Tony to take pride in himself with that ego of his.

"Well, ha, I really wouldn't know now, would I?" she answered, turning to face him with a grin.

"What do you mean? All this came from you."

"No," she argues, lifting a finger. "All this came from that..."

Pepper tapped the arc in the center of Tony's chest, thankful he didn't feel shamed by it anymore. At first, he didn't even want to show it to her, and he hadn't said anything when they were first intimate, but she could tell it made him feel more uncomfortable than he ever had been under the covers with someone else. It was a thing of beauty...a thing of magic, that would open a whole new window to the rest of the world.

Tony smirked, reading her mind and stroked down her arms with both hands. "Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit."

"Twelve percent?" she gasped, taken aback by such a small amount. 

Yes, it was his idea to begin with, but she had a lot of suggestions on that little trip of his, and apparently he was remembering that, as well.

"An argument can be made for fifteen," he decided, walking toward the living space where he left a bucket of ice with some champagne to chill.

"Twelve percent?" she repeated as she stepped in front of him, not letting it go. "For my baby?"

"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting," Stark argued, following her down the steps into the hollow where the couch sat. "Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you."

"Oh," Pepper breathed, ignoring the beginnings of his rant about the updating of the elevator protocols as she opened the bottle. 

"My private elevator..."

"You mean our elevator?"

"...was teeming with sweaty workmen. I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"

She poured them both a glasses and distributed them before she teased him back. "Not gonna be that subtle."

She almost laughed out loud as he flinched, but held it together as he tried to reason.

"I'll tell you what...next building's gonna say 'Potts' on the tower."

"On the lease," she argued, holding her glass up to his and letting his mind wander.

"...call your mom, can you bunk over?" he asked suddenly.

"Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten," Jarvis then warned, just before the phone connects him to the SHIELD agent.

"Stark, we need to talk," Coulson's voice announces, making Tony think on his feet.

Tony picked up his phone and met Coulson's face with the least amount of emotion as he could. "You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message."

"This is urgent."

"Then leave it urgently," Stark suggested.

He didn't listen, and instead, the elevator doors are dinging and Coulson emerged from them, file in hand.

"Security breach," Tony muttered, but reluctantly got up with Pepper to meet the agent at the door. "That's on you."

"Mr Stark," Coulson greeted, glancing at Pepper as she hopped up the stairs to say hello.

"Phil! Come in."

"Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent," Tony commented, realizing he had never just called him Phil.

Pepper clearly ignored him, smiling at the agent. "Come on in, we're celebrating."

Stark argued again from her side, now sounding more annoyed by the second. "Which is why he can't stay!"

"We need you to look this over. Soon as possible," Coulson stated, holding out the file in hand and pretending Tony was done arguing his presence.

Glancing at the file, Stark swallowed uncomfortably. "I don't like being handed things."

"That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things," Potts purred form his side, passing her glass to Coulson in exchange for his file. "So, let's trade," she continued as she passed the file to Tony next to her, who knew he could trust whatever she was giving him. "Thank you."

Stark inspected the item in his hands with frustration. "Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday." 

"This isn't a consultation," Coulson argued, earning Pepper's interest.

"Is this about The Avengers?" she asked. "Which I...I know nothing about," she added, realizing what Tony told her must have been in confidence judging by the look she got from the agent.

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify," Tony called as he took the file toward the hologram display they started at.

I didn't know that either..." Pepper muttered, trying to make herself look a little better.

"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self- obsessed, don't play well with others," went on, earning another grin from Potts.

"That I did know," she admitted with no shame.

"This isn't about personality profiles anymore," Coulson informs them, knowing Fury sent him there on a mission to collect Stark.

"Whatever," Tony tossed back, loading the file into his system. "Miss Potts, got a minute?"

Pepper pressed her lips together, then excused herself from the man at the elevator door and padded her bare feet over to Tony. 

"You know, I thought we were having a moment..." he said under his breath while tapping at the display.

Without missing a beat, she raised an eyebrow, watching as he avoided all eye contact with her. "I was having twelve percent of a moment." She glanced back at the door as the man shifted with drink in hand still. "This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken."

Tony mumbled his agreement, but didn't like the way she tossed Coulson's first name around. "How did you notice? Why is he Phil?

"What is all of this?" she countered, moving past the 'Phil' thing.

"This is, uh..." Tony began, not really knowing until the files opened, revealing data on several of the other super weirdos he had heard about on the news...including one his father had worked with: Captain America. "This."

"I'm going to take the jet to D.C. tonight," Pepper decides, eager to get back to work now that Iron Man was needed again. Date night would have to wait.

"Tomorrow," Tony argued, which, honestly, warmed her heart a little.

Sadly, she stated the obvious. "You've got homework. You've got a lot of homework."

"Well, what if I didn't?" Tony tossed, looking at the red head next to him.

She sighed, realizing he didn't want to end their vacation as much as she did, but it was time. "If you didn't?"

"Yeah."

"You mean if you finished?" she asked, watching as Tony nodded eagerly back, his chocolate eyes dark, yet sparkling with all of the crazy thoughts in his head.

"Well, um...then..." Potts began, blushing as she hesitated before moving into his personal space and learning to whisper in his ear, keeping their words away from the agent, who was now tiptoeing around the awkward moment shared between the two. "Then when I'm back, we can dig into that box in your closet. You know, the ones with the spare ties and that ridiculously furry pair of handcuffs I stumbled upon on my first day as your assistant?"

"Square deal," he nods again, accepting without question as he reminisced about Pepper snooping into his stuff so many years ago, now thankful that had happened.

Pepper smiles, knowing she finally figured out one of Tony's kinks. "Work hard," she instructed.

Then, she was off, asking Coulson for a ride to the airport as she slipped on her shoes and leaving Tony to the screens in front of him and yet another project for Iron Man.


End file.
